Sizing It Up
by Lazarus76
Summary: Ariadne keeps Arthur at arms length...he tries to discover the reason.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. **

"Mmm," Arthur murmured, loving the feel of the Architect on top of him. They were at her place, stretched out on the couch, fully dressed. Somehow, his tie had managed to make its way to the floor, and his shirt was loose at the top.

Ariadne shifted over him slightly. "You ok?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that question?" he responded, playfully. He tickled her gently on the stomach. "Sure you're ok?"

"Fine," she said, smiling. "Absolutely fine."

"Great." He leaned over and kissed her. "So, shall we go to bed?"

"Oh, um..." Ariadne swallowed. "I was hoping for an early night...alone."

"What?" Arthur's face dropped slightly. "Alone? Why?"

"Well...its this job we're working on. I don't want to be tired."

Arthur sighed, almost irritably as he began to get up, swinging his legs around. "OK, I get the message." He leaned over, kissing her on the tip of her nose. "I could do with some sleep, myself." Getting up, he leaned down, scooping up his tie, and looped it round his neck. The Architect got up from the couch, and began to show him to the door.

He bent down. "See you tomorrow," he said, softly, as their lips met in a deep kiss. Finally, he turned and left.

Ariadne shut the door, feeling a wave of relief. As she walked back into the bedroom, she collapsed on the bed, feeling exhausted.

The more time she spent with Arthur, the more she loved it. And, she thought with a glow of satisfaction, people she had previously known would be astounded at the man she'd ended up with. In fact, she ruminated, they'd be astonished. Because when they'd known her back then, in High School, Arthur was the last type of man they thought Ariadne could have.

She blinked, and began to head for the bathroom, shedding layers of clothing en route.

* * *

Arthur let himself into his apartment, feeling puzzled. Everything had seemed to be wonderful - they were together, music, soft lights - and then, she announced she wanted to go to bed early.

He bit his lip, heading for the kitchen. She didn't really seem to want him to spend any intimate time with her. He frowned as he poured himself a glass of water. Maybe she thought he was too fast moving, too insistent.

He frowned, taking a sip. Perhaps he would have to try the old-fashioned way.

"Take her out for dinner," he mused. "Worth a shot."

* * *

"Tonight?" Ariadne asked, slightly perplexed.

"Yes, tonight," Arthur said, quickly. "How about it? Apparently the chocolate mousse is wonderful!"

"Well, I-"

"Ari, we're both working hard," he reminded her. "Don't we deserve a break?"

She nodded. "OK, if you insist-"

"I do," he said, quickly. "We've been seeing each other for three weeks, and I've not once had the time to take you for dinner!"

Ariadne smiled, although it felt rather forced. "OK. Time?"

"Eight," Arthur replied, puzzled and slightly deflated by her response. "I'll meet you at your place, ok?"

"See you then!"

* * *

Ariadne sighed as she stood in front of the mirror. She was wearing a long black dress, that didn't swamp her frame, and was debating whether to put her hair up. She reached for a couple of pins, then let it swing loose around her face. It was better down. She could hide behind it.

She frowned, an unpleasant memory whirling its way into her mind. She was about fifteen, walking along the corridor in High School. Suddenly, she'd heard an unpleasant, hooting voice.

"Hey, Ariadne! Watch out, you're blocking everyone's view!"

She'd stopped, and blushed. Hot waves of shame had flooded her face, feeling as though everyone was suddenly staring at her. She'd pressed her books to her chest, and tried to hurry on.

She blinked. Arthur...he wouldn't believe it if she told him this. He wouldn't comprehend it. She shuddered slightly. Telling him would too hard.

So, she'd hidden it. Hidden it away, along with her photos of herself, and her year book. No way did she ever want him discovering it.

Suddenly, the door bell rung. Adjusting her dress, frowning at the way it clung to her, she hurried to the door.

* * *

"You sure you don't want anything else?"

Ariadne nodded. "I'm sure."

Arthur frowned. "Ari, you only had salad...and tuna." He shook his head. "You should eat some carbs."

"I don't need too many carbs," she said, swallowing. He blinked. "Well, you should have them, they're-"

"I don't want any!" She said, taken aback by the forcefulness of her voice. He was extending his hand across the table, and stopped it, suddenly.

"OK, fine," he said, hoarsely. "I'll get the bill, and we'll go, shall we?"

Ariadne sunk back in her seat. The evening had started off wonderfully. Arthur, looking handsome in a fresh suit, had complimented her on her appearance, and ushered her to the restaurant. The food had been good, and the wine crisp. But then, he'd started telling her she hadn't eaten enough, and the evening had taken a sour turn.

"I eat enough," she said, coldly. His eyes had widened.

"Fine," he said, his own temper almost at snapping point. "As I said, we'll get the bill, and go!"

She nodded numbly. Ever the gentleman, he'd escorted her back to her place. At the door, she'd turned to him.

"Um, coffee?" she asked, nervously. An attempt to make up for her bad manners earlier.

Arthur nodded, slowly. "Why not."

Swallowing, she let him into the apartment, and immediately headed for the kitchen. Arthur wandered towards the lounge, a slight spurt of anger dimming.

As he entered the lounge, he noticed something on the floor. Bending down, he picked it up, his eyes widening.

* * *

Ariadne entered the living room, carrying two cups of coffee on a tray. As she set it down, she noticed Arthur standing in the lounge, holding the photograph. He raised his eyebrows.

"I found this," he said, brandishing it. "Want to explain why you were hiding it?"

She blushed scarlet. On the photo were her and two of her friends. Except...

"Well, I was fat," she said, defensively. Arthur looked at her, shaking his head.

"Ariadne. You weren't fat...just a little heavy, from what I can see." He looked at the photo. "But, does it really matter?"

"Yes!" she burst out. "Yes, it does!" She looked at him. "You've probably never been overweight in your life! Do you know how it feels to have people jeer at you when you walk down a hallway? Or to have everyone look at you if you eat anything sweet?"

"No," he said, finally. "I only know what its like to be picked last in sports because you're so thin you look like you'll snap, and to have the cheerleaders jeer as their Jock boyfriends target you in the hallway!"

she sagged, slightly. "Well," she said, "I'm not...heavy anymore. It only took a diet, aerobics, and willpower."

"But, Ari, you weren't...fat," Arthur pointed out. He looked at the photo. "You were just a little heavy, that was all!"

"Well, you wouldn't be interested if I looked like that now," she said, stubbornly. He frowned.

"Don't make assumptions," he warned her. He walked over, letting his hands wind themselves round her. "You're lovely. Regardless. Accept it."

"Well, I've no intention of looking like that again!" She said. Arthur looked at her, and traced his finger down her cheek.

"Wouldn't matter." He said gently. "Just more to love." Pulling her close, their lips met in a kiss.

**Please review - it is appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. **

Ariadne blinked, and looked at Arthur. "You mean that?" Her face was slightly incredulous. Arthur smiled and gently stroked her face.

"You heard," he repeated, patiently. "You gaining a couple of pounds doesn't bother me."

"But, Arthur!" She looked at him, her face anguished. "You haven't seen all the photos!"

He raised an eyebrow. "OK. Show me."

Swallowing, she led him to a small cabinet in the corner of her apartment. Opening it, she pulled out a dusty photo album. She handed it to Arthur.

"Here," she said, almost defiantly. Nodding, he took it, and sat down on the couch.

As he leafed through, she excused herself. As he flipped through the pages, his face creased into a puzzled frown.

Ariadne was in the pictures. But, he thought, casting his eye over them, although she was slightly overweight - at best she could be considered chubby - he didn't consider her unattractive. Her face was rounder, and her body, he noted, curvier than she was at present. But she certainly wasn't what he would consider fat.

He bit his lip, looking at the photos, and at the other people in them. Who were they? He wondered. And what had they said to her in the past to make her feel so bad?

He swallowed. There was one thing he could do...but the thought of it made him shudder slightly. It would be an invasion, but he felt he needed to know.

* * *

Ariadne 's hand was shaking as she spooned coffee into two mugs. Whilst she felt she didn't really need more caffeine so late, the simple action soothed her, taking her mind off what was happening in the lounge.

Arthur looking at her old High School photos. Learning the ugly truth. That she hadn't been a cheerleader, or the prom queen, or one of the celebrated beauties. She'd been fat. And worse, fat and a geek. She felt herself redden at the stinging memory of it.

The memory of walking down the hallway, trying to make herself inconspicuous. Hard, when your size meant everyone noticed you. Of trying to ignore the mocking catcalls and jeers. She shuddered.

"Ari?"

She blinked, and turned. Arthur was standing in the doorway, smiling. He held out his arms. "Come here."

She went to him, gratefully. He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her.

"Listen," he said, softly. "Want to go for a walk?"

She nodded, feeling the need to get away from her memories. "Yes, let's."

* * *

They walked, hand in hand along the sidewalk. Arthur gave her fingers a gentle squeeze as they went along. She smiled, grateful for the warmth of his hand and sensitivity.

"So, you saw the pictures." Her tone was non-commital.

"Yes," he replied. "And...you were cute."

"Arthur! I was fat!"

He looked at her. "In your opinion." He shrugged. "If you saw mine...you'd probably think I was too thin." He sighed.

"You're not," she argued. "You're just...lean."

He smiled. "Not back then. I was...bony." He squeezed her hand more tightly. "No one wants to date a guy they're worried they might snap in half."

She swallowed. "Well, no one wants to date a girl who resembles a butterball, either."

Arthur could not think of a response to that, so fell silent. Eventually, they reached his apartment.

"Listen," he said, smiling. "Its getting late...why don't we go to bed?"

She blinked. "You're serious?"

He nodded. "Of course." Leaning down, he kissed her softly. As they walked into the bedroom, the PASIV slid under the bed was looming to the front of his mind.

**Please review - it is appreciated!** **Thank you for reading this fic!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. **

"Can I get you some tea? Peppermint, chamomile?"

Ariadne blinked, and nodded. "Tea would be good. Peppermint, please," she added. Arthur nodded and headed towards his kitchen.

Ariadne sank down onto the bed, taking in her surroundings. The apartment was expensive, and tastefully decorated - light hues of beige and cream decorating the walls. The bed was covered with sheets of cream and mocha. She leaned over, noting the expensive cologne on the

She sighed. Arthur was clearly a man of taste, not to mention wealth. _What does he see in me? _

* * *

Arthur boiled the water, and in the cups, dropped in two tea bags. Swallowing, he reached for a small box that he kept stashed in the cupboard. As he opened it, and dipped in a spoon, he felt his hand freeze.

_You're betraying her trust. She deserves better. _

He blinked, and kept the spoon in. Ariadne did deserve better - better than the low self esteem which clearly was set to plague her for the rest of her life. The Point Man straightened up, and began to pull out a spoonful of the mixture. As it dissolved in one of the cups, he blinked. He needed to find out, to help her forget this part of her past.

Picking a cup up in each hand, he walked into the bedroom. The Architect was lying stretched out on the bed. She smiled as he entered.

"Hey," he said, casually. She began to sit up, and took a cup. "Thank you."

He settled down next to her. He'd removed his jacket, was was beginning to loosen his tie. Ariadne's hand reached out, and started to tug on it. Reaching up, he pulled it off completely. She leaned up, and he kissed her.

"Oh, careful!" He said, warningly. She blinked, and looked down. Blushing, she took a sip. He nodded, and took a sip of his own.

"Oh," she said, blinking. Arthur looked at her. "You ok?"

"I just feel-" she blinked again, and Arthur noticed her face was beginning the contortions of a yawn. "I should, probably-"

Arthur moved swiftly. Reaching over, he plucked her cup from her hand, settling it carefully on the bedside bureau. She was yawning more fully now, her eyes widening.

"Arthur...did you...?" before she could complete her sentence, she'd begun to slump, falling onto the bed.

The Point Man watched her, as her breathing deepened. Swallowing, he began to carefully draw a cover over her, then pulled out the PASIV. Flipping up the lid, he pulled out two IVs, carefully attaching one to her arm, then his. He began to lie down next to her.

"Sweet dreams," he whispered, hitting the centre button.

* * *

"So how about it? Friday, 8pm?"

Arthur blinked. He was standing in a hallway, and suddenly realised he was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, watching as groups of adolescents walked past.

_I'm in a school. A high school._

"Um, what?" he mumbled, trying to focus on the girl speaking to him. A blonde, wearing a short skirt and with her hair pulled up in a ponytail, was smiling at him.

"My place. 8pm. Party!"

"Oh," Arthur said, nodding. "Well, I-"

Suddenly, the piercing ring of the bell echoed through the air. "Come on," she said, jerking her head. "Chemistry class!"

Arthur, not quite beliving where Ariadne's sub conscious was taking him, followed the other girl. As he walked, he turned his head from side to side, hoping to catch sight of the Architect.

No sign. Biting his lip in chagrin, he entered the classroom. The teacher, a tall, bearded man, was frowning at the class.

"Well," he said, his voice strong. "Good to see those of you who turned up on time." He glared slightly at Arthur, and his companion. The Point Man felt himself redden.

"Now, today's class will be focusing on soluble liquids." The teacher gestured at the row of test tubes in front of him. "We will be looking at how quickly different substances dissolve." He pulled up a tray. "On here, I have sugar, some butter, and washing powder. Any questions?"

A hand went up. "Yes?" he barked, impatiently. The owner of the hand, a pale skinny boy with light red hair, smiled innocently.

"Mr Russo, does fat dissolve?"

Russo frowned slightly. "Yes, it does."

"Well, in that case, why don't we see if we can drop Ariadne in one of those tubes!"

Laughter broke out from pockets of the class. Arthur, shocked, turned in his seat. And saw her.

Ariadne - a somewhat younger Ariadne - was sitting towards the back of the class. She was crouching down, a scarf wrapped around her neck. Her face, he noticed, was rounder than it was in reality - but her clothes were layered.

"Leave her alone."

The words were out of his mouth before he realised. A couple of the other kids in the class shifted and looked at him.

"Oh, look, a guy who likes fat girls!" The red haired tormenter commented. "Ari, you're in luck!" He turned to her. "I suggest you get to know him - this might be the only time you ever get lucky!"

Arthur was shocked. Before anyone could stop him, he'd started to slide off his seat. But, before he could face the obnoxious teenager, Ariadne had got off her seat, and hurried out of the room.

Arthur looked at the other individual, furious. "You-"

"QUIET!" Russo roared. "You!" He pointed at Arthur. "Leave!"

Arthur blinked. "What? He-" he turned and glared at the red head - "he just upset someone, and you're-"

"Just go!" the teacher bellowed, almost incandescent with rage. Arthur swallowed. Before anyone could stop and challenge him, he headed for the door.

"Hey, watch it!" He heard another voice. Blinking, he turned, and spotted Ariadne hurrying down the corridor. A group of girls stood watching, sniggering.

"Soon they'll need to widen the corridor!" one sneered.

"You've got to feel sorry for her," another commented. "She has a really pretty face!"

"Yeah, underneath that blubber!"

Arthur had heard enough. Ignoring them, he began to chase Ariadne, noting she was heading for the girls' bathroom. As the door slammed shut behind her, he paused. Steeling his resolve, he decided to wait.

**Thank you for reading, reviews appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. **

Arthur blinked, turning his head. He saw the swing door of the girls toilets' close, and realised he had a split second. He pushed the door open, and went in.

One cubicle's door was shut. The other three were open. Arthur was about to knock on the cubicle door, when the main door began to open. He ran into a cubicle, looking the door.

"Ari?" it was a gentle voice, not raised. "Ariadne, are you in here?"

A sniffling sound confirmed this, and Arthur heard footsteps walking to the door, followed by another request. "Please, open the door, and talk to me. I've been pulled out of a meeting, and I need to know you're ok."

Arthur blinked. He heard the door scrape open. "I'm here."

"OK." The woman's voice was sympathetic. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"I was in Chemistry," Ariadne began, falteringly, "and Andy started making comments, and I couldn't..." Arthur heard her voice break. "I couldn't handle it."

"Ariadne, Andy will be spoken to." The woman's voice was firm. "But, you can't let it upset you like this."

"But, it does!" Ariadne's voice had jumped slightly. "Its because I'm fat!" He heard her voice break again. "I've tried everything, Ms Strickland! I've tried diets, exercise, everything! And still the weight doesn't come off!"

"Maybe its not time right now." Arthur could hear the sympathy in the woman's voice. "Ari, dieting can make things worse. Concentrate on living healthily, and you'll find the weight will start to fall off."

"I-" suddenly, a bell started to ring, loudly. The woman sighed.

"I have to leave, I'm afraid, I have a meeting with a parent." Arthur heard footsteps. "Its recess, but make sure you get to your next class."

"OK."

Arthur heard footsteps, and the door opening. He was about to open the door, when it opened again, and he heard three voices.

"Did you see the way Ariadne ran out of Chem?" He swallowed, listening closely. "Jeez, she's so sensitive, and over something that's her own fault!"

Arthur blinked.

"Yeah, I mean, why doesn't she just stop eating?!" Another voice chimed in. "That would help!"

"But did you see the way that cute guy stuck up for her?!" The third voice was incredulous. "I mean, someone good looking arrives, and he goes for the fat girl!"

"Poor boy. Maybe he's insecure." Arthur heard a sink tap being turned on. "Insecure guys go for the fat chicks. Or maybe he just wants to feed her!"

There was a burst of laughter at this. Arthur felt repulsed.

"Well, maybe he'll get lucky." The owner of the first voice was speaking again. "No-one else wants to date her! Can you imagine a guy being with you if your bigger than a size 4?!"

The bell rang again, and the voices started to leave.

He heard the other cubicle door open. Ariadne had exited her cubicle, and was standing at the sink. Suddenly, he heard her voice.

"You're so fat. So ugly." He realised he was talking to her reflection. "But its ok, these will help fix it."

Arthur blinked, shocked. Before he could stop himself, he'd pulled back the bolt to his own cubicle door, and started to walk out of it. "Ariadne, please-"

He looked at her. She was standing at the sink, a bottle in her hand, and what looked like a pill in the other. She put the pill in her mouth.

Arthur moved. "Don't!" he shouted, grabbing for the bottle. "What are you trying to do, kill yourse-"

To his shock, she pushed him, and he grabbed at the sink, trying to hold onto the smooth ceramic edge. His fingers slipped, and he felt himself falling. Before he could stop himself, he was on the floor, his head smashing against the sink.

He blinked, and suddenly found himself staring at the ceiling of his own apartment. He turned, and looked at Ariadne, still sleeping peacefully beside him.

Arthur began to shake, with shock and anger. He wanted to shake her awake, demand she talk to him. Ripping the IV out of his arm, he began to head for the kitchen, needing a glass of water.

As he poured himself one, he willed himself to stop shaking. What he had seen had upset him, and disturbed him. Ariadne...taking pills. What if she still was? What if that was how she kept her figure?

He rubbed his forehead, suddenly feeling everything had twisted out of recognition. He'd assumed she'd lost weight healthily, possibly a growth spurt. But...pills?

_What if she's bulimic? Has an eating disorder? God, what haven't I or the others noticed?_!

Feeling slightly sick, Arthur took a swallow of water, appreciating its coolness. His mind was swimming. He leaned against the sink, wishing he'd respected her privacy.

"Arthur?"

He stopped, stunned. The timer had run out.

Slowly, he turned. Ariadne was standing in the doorway, a confused, unhappy expression on her face.

"Arthur," she began, her voice faltering. "Arthur, did you just-" she swallowed - "did you just go into my dreams?"

Arthur bit his lip. "Yes," he said, brokenly. "I did."

"You..." she shook her head, her eyes widening. "Arthur, how could you?! How could you violate my mind like that?!"

Arthur swallowed. "Ari, please, I-"

He stopped, and opened his arms. As she collapsed into them, he realised she was crying.

**Reviews are always welcome and appreciated, thank you!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. **

"I..." Arthur stopped, realising he could not justify his behaviour. "I needed to...find out. See for myself what happened to you." He tightened his grip round her. "I couldn't let you carry on feeling insecure."

She pulled away from him. "But you had no right!" Her face was contorted, tears falling freely. "You had no right to invade my privacy like that!"

Arthur shook his head, feeling as though he were rapidly losing control of the situation. "But, Ari, pills!" He was unable to keep the shock out of his voice. "You were taking diet pillls? Don't you realise how dangerous they are, how they can-"

"Shut up!" she almost screamed at him. "What do you know?! You've probably never been overweight in your life!"

Arthur blanched. "Well, no, but-"

"So how do you know how it feels? Don't tell me how I feel!"

Arthur rubbed his forehead, a mixture of anger and concern rising within him. "I'm not. I just want to..." he swallowed. "I just want to understand. That's all."

She looked at him, her cheeks shining with tears. "You do?"

"Yes," he nodded.

"Well, in that case, maybe we should go and dream some more." She swallowed. "You can see things better than if I tell you."

He blinked. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

* * *

Arthur blinked, realising he was sitting on a bench outside the school. Ariadne, carefully covered in layers, was standing on the steps. With her was an attractive red head. **  
**

"Look, you don't need to worry, really." The other girl's face was sympathetic. "It will come off. Really."

Ariadne sighed. "I know...but I feel so fat. So heavy. Especially in comparison to you."

The other girl shook her head. "Don't compare yourself, we have completely different bodies." They began to walk. "Besides, my legs are thin, and I don't fill a bra. So there's not much to be envious of."

Ariadne smiled. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

Arthur noticed that the two girls parted ways, and Ariadne was heading in doors. He followed her, keeping his distance slightly. She was walking down some stairs.

As she pushed open double doors, he realised he was now in her family home. Her mother, a woman with te same dark hair and eyes as her daughter, was looking at her, sympathetically.

"Ari, you don't need to worry. Your weight is a little high at the moment, but it will come off."

"Everyone says that," Ariadne muttered, looking down at her chicken salad. "But Mom, what if I'm meant to be fat?"

Her mother sighed. "You're not. I was a little heavy at your age, and I lost it."

Arthur blinked, noting how Ariadne was not comforted by her mother's reassurance. The stairs began to loom again, and he noticed how she was walking down them. He followed her.

He blinked. He was in the dining hall of her college.

"Ari, come on, eat something substantial." He noticed she was sitting across from another girl, a pretty blonde. "All you eat is salad, its not good for you!"

Ariadne shrugged. "Well, its necessary." She put her fork in the cottage cheese, and raised some to her lips. Arthur noticed her grimace slightly.

"Ari, look, eating a few carbs isn't going to make you fat." The other woman's voice was consoling. "You need to eat them."

Ariadne shook her head. "No. Its fine."

Arthur swallowed, watching her as she left the room, and headed for the staircase. He followed her again, and pushed open the door.

To his shock, he was standing in his own apartment. He blinked as he heard his own voice. "Ari!"

"Yes, I'm in the kitchen!"

Arthur quickly hid himself in the walk in cupboard. He noticed "himself" striding into the kitchen, with an angry scowl on his face. "Look, what are you in here for?" he was glaring at her. "I'm taking you out for dinner, why do you feel the need to come in here and stuff your face?!"

"Arthur I wasn't, I-"

"Look, we've had this conversation! Yes, I know you were fat before - but if you get fat again, that's it! Do you have any idea how many other women I could date?!"

Ariadne looked at him, tears in her eyes. "Arthur, I wasn't eating anything, I swear-"

"Oh, for God's sake! Come on, we'd better go! And remember, just have a salad or something, and no dessert!" He shook his head. "Why do I have to get lumbered with a fat girl!"

Arthur felt sick to his stomach. Suddenly, the ground began to shake under his feet, and he started to blink. He turned his head, Ariadne looking at him.

"Is that what you really think of me?!" he demanded, suddenly furious. "Is it? Tell me!"

Ariadne, completely silent, dropped her eyes to the floor.

**All reviews appreciated, thank you!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer**:** Inception does not belong to me.**

Ariadne swallowed, and kept looking at the floor. Arthur was glaring at her.

"I didn't know how you..." she swallowed. "How you'd behave-"

"No, you do know!" He snapped. "We work together - have done for months. Do you honestly think I'm a bully? Someone who would make somebody feel bad about how they look? Would taunt them about it?"

She opened her mouth. "Arthur, I-"

He shook his head. "No, just don't. Please. That's what you think of me, and-"

She turned her head away. "Fine, ok." Her voice was cracking, and he realised she was on the verge of tears. "I think I'd better leave."

"No, wait, I-"

"Arthur, I have to-"

He swallowed, and moved. Before she could leave, he'd got in front of her, effectively barricading the door. "Stop." His voice was firm. "You're not going anywhere, until we talk this through."

She looked at him. "I-"

"Come on." He'd softened his voice, and held out his hand. "Why do you think I'd be like that? Bullying you, controlling what you eat? Why?"

She bit her lip. "It was just after I went to college."

"What was?" Still holding hands, he guided her to the lounge, and the couch. They settled down next to each other, their eyes meeting. "What happened?"

"I met someone," she almost whispered. "We started dating, and I got comfortable with him. Then, we took it a stage further-" she blushed slightly - "and he commented on how good I looked."

Arthur blinked, a wave of jealousy threatening to course through him. "What did you say?"

"I told him I used to be heavier." She swallowed. "He told me that he couldn't stay with me, as I might get fat again, and walked out."

Arthur felt a pang of repugnance. "Ari, no! That's-" he stopped, fumbling for words. "That's awful!"

She nodded. "But I-" she stopped. "I just thought that-"

"That I might be like that." He raised an eyebrow. "Trust me, not going to happen."

She looked at him. "Really?"

"Yes." He stopped, examining his hands. "If you want to know why, then you can go into my dreams. My memories."

Ariadne blinked. "You're sure?"

"Absolutely." Arthur nodded. "I went to a different type of school, but-" he smiled. "Kids are kids, wherever you go." He shrugged. "Don't think I don't have body hang ups."

Ariadne smiled. "I can't believe that."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Oh, when you're thin for your age, and people make comments that you're not filling out properly, it does get to you. Want to see?"

She nodded. "If you're sure."

"I am. Come on."

As they walked back into the bedroom, Arthur checked the PASIV. "Five minutes, ok? Let's see what you can see in five minutes."

"OK." She settled herself on the bed and began to attach the IV. Arthur laid down next to her, and turned his head. "Ready?"

She nodded. "Ready."

He pressed the centre button, plunging them both into darkness.

* * *

"Arthur!" She blinked. She was sitting on the bed of a teenager. Turning her head, she realised it was early morning. "Arthur, are you up?"

"Yes!" a voice called. Getting up, she hurried into the closet, closing the door.

Suddenly, the teenage Arthur came striding into the bedroom. Ariadne peeked at him.

He was, she realised, thin. She also realised, blinking, that he was naked except for the towel swathed around his hips. Turning her head, she decided not to watch him dress.

After a couple of minutes, she looked. He was wearing dark trousers, a white shirt, and a tie - the uniform, she suddenly realised, of a private school. He reached for the back of a desk chair, picking up a dark blue blazer.

"Arthur!" The voice was more insistent now, almost with an undercurrent of annoyance. "Where are you?!"

He groaned slightly, and picked up a stack of books and a small backpack. She watched as he left, then followed him, quietly.

He was entering the kitchen. An attractive, dark haired woman, clearly his mother, was standing at the counter. Her look of annoyance was softening the minute she saw her son.

"Arthur, you really need to hurry in the morning! You don't have time to eat!"

"Mom, we've had this conversation before." Arthur looked at her, and bit his lip. "I'm really not hungry. Toast is fine."

"You should eat more," his mother insisted. "I worry about you- you're growing!"

"Yes, but I'm just not hungry at the moment." He swallowed. "Mom, you shouldn't worry about me. I do eat at school. But-"

"I'm taking you to a doctor next week," she said, suddenly. He blinked. "Why?"

"Eating disorders, Arthur. That's why!"

"Mom, I don't have a..." his voice faded, clearly in the face of his mother's stern expression. "I need to go."

Before she could protest further, Arthur grabbed his bag, and hurried to the front door. As he walked past, Ariadne prepared to follow him.

"Arthur!" His mother's voice echoed down the corridor. "Anorexia is a problem in teenage boys!"

Ariadne, beginning to wonder what she would witness next, followed the teenage Point Man out of the house.

**All reviews and readers appreciated, thank you!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. **

Ariadne hurried behind Arthur, noting how quickly and easily he moved. But she also spotted his hunched shoulders, indicating he was unhappy. She bit her lip - it surprised her how quickly she was learning to recognise signs indicating the Point Man's emotional state.

As he stopped at a bus stop, and flagged one down, she paused. Suddenly, she realised her palm was full of change. She waited for him to get on, then discreetly entered.

Arthur was moving down the aisle. "OK if I sit here?"

"Of course!" a female voice replied. Ariadne felt a slight scowl flickering across her face. She tried to remind herself that these were the teenage Arthur's memories.

"You ok?" she heard the voice ask. "You look a little...flushed."

"Fine." Arthur sighed. "Just my mother. Again."

"What's the problem?"

"I wish she'd accept this is how I'm built. She now thinks I'm anorexic!" He turned to his companion. "Don't laugh!"

"I'm not, honestly," she said, shaking her head. "But you do eat."

"Yeah, I do. And I'm not going to stuff myself when I'm not hungry." He shrugged. "Simple as that."

The bus came to a halt, and Ariadne blinked. Suddenly, she was in a classroom. The school, she realised, was an expensive prep. Arthur was sitting towards the front.

"Right, two chapters. That's homework. Thanks, see you tomorrow." The teacher spoke authoratively, and the class began to rise, Ariadne joining them. She began to walk out into the hallway, noting the girls in their jumpers and kilts, and boys in blazers and ties. Arthur was walking towards his locker.

Suddenly, she realised two larger boys were bearing down on him. "Hey, skeletor! Heads up!"

Arthur blinked, and dodged as a fist came flying, hitting the locker. Ariadne gasped, and took a step backwards. The other boy grabbed Arthur's shoulders, turning him so they were facing each other.

"Listen," the other boy growled, staring into Arthur's face. "Leave my girlfriend alone!"

"Never touched her," Arthur said, defiantly. "Its a free country."

"Listen, you're not getting it. Why would she be interested in a bag of bones like you? She wouldn't. Unless you were hitting on her."

"I'll say it again," Arthur stated, his voice calm. "I'm not hitting on her, or trying anything.I-"

He stopped. The other boy had put his hand on his face, shoving it against the locker.

"You listen," his opponent said, coldly. "A scrawny little kid like you hasn't got a chance. Why don't you go back to your geeky friends and realise that no woman will ever be interested in you?"

He removed his hand from Arthur's face, and began to walk away. Ariadne started to move towards him, when suddenly, she realised she was walking behind him again. To a door marked "School nurse."

Arthur knocked. "Come in!" A female voice called. He entered, Ariadne slipping in quietly behind him. The nurse smiled at him. "Arthur! Know why you're here?"

"No," he replied, honestly.

"Well, your mother called." She studied the young man's face. "She's concerned that you're underweight, and may not be helping yourself."

"My mother-" Arthur paused. "My mother thinks I'm anorexic. I'm not, I-"

"OK," the nurse said, riding over his words. "Let's weigh you."

Arthur complied, taking off his shoes and jacket. The nurse ran the metal weight along the scale. "125," she announced, shaking her head. "Too low, I'm afraid."

Arthur swallowed. "Look, I do eat, I just-"

"Arthur, you're damaging your health." The nurse frowned at him. "You need a diet sheet."

"I don't, I-"

"Listen," she interrupted. "Perhaps you should see a doctor. Eating disorders are very destructive. They can ruin your life, and your family's. Isn't it time you stopped being selfish?"

Arthur, his mouth open, said nothing. Meekly, he accepted the sheet thrust at him, and proceeded to leave the room.

Ariadne followed him. Suddenly, she realised she was sitting in the lounge. His parents' home. She got up, suddenly realising she could hear voices through another doorway.

They were sitting at the dinner table.

"Arthur, you should have more pasta."

"Mom, I have enough on my plate."

"Two spoonfuls isn't enough!"

"Its enough for me!"

"Well, that's why you're as thin as a stick!"

"Mom, it doesn't matter how much I eat!"

"I'm taking you to a doctor tomorrow! They might knock some sense into you!"

"I don't need to see a doctor!"

"Oh, I've read about this, its classic denial!"

"I'm not in denial about anything!" Ariadne heard a chair go scraping back, and realised Arthur was standing up. "Mom, I do not have an eating disorder, I'm just thin!"

"You're too thin! You need fattening up!"

Suddenly, Ariadne heard another voice, a sarcastic one. "Yeah, Art. Not exactly fighting girls off with a stick, are you?"

Ariadne blinked, feeling slightly sick. She'd heard enough. As the ground began to shake, she closed her eyes, willing herself to wake up.

**All readers and reviews appreciated, thank you! **


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer:** Inception does not belong to me. **

Ariadne blinked, and turned. Arthur was lying next to her, still asleep.

She tentatively reached out, and touched his shoulder. "Arthur?"

To her relief, his eyelids began to flutter, and he started to turn his head. "Arthur?" she repeated, more insistently.

His eyes opened, and seeing her face, began to smile slightly. "Hey."

"Arthur, I cannot believe that-" she shook her head. "I cannot believe that they said that to you!" her voice was trembling slightly with indignation. "How could they-?"

Arthur swallowed. "That's...not the worst of it." He began to tug at the IV. "I decided to pull us both out, so-"

"What do you mean, that's not the worst of it?" Ariadne looked at him, searchingly. "Arthur-"

"Listen, its getting pretty late," he interrupted. "I really think we should..." he blushed slightly - "call it a night."

"But I-"

"Ari, come on. Its nearly eleven. We should go to bed. I'll sleep in the lounge."

She blinked. "Arthur-"

"Come on," he said, gently. He began to move towards his closet. "I'm sure I have a shirt in here you can borrow." He began to flick through the neat line of clothing. "Here, this one."

He handed her a plain white shirt, and she accepted it. "Thank you."

"No need," he said, smiling. "See you tomorrow."

She swallowed, watching as he turned on his heel and began to walk towards the lounge. As she began to stretch out on the bed, she heard his moving around in the apartment.

She began to undress, biting her lip. She felt almost betrayed. Arthur had entered her dream, seen her at her most vulnerable, and then refused to let her go further. She swallowed.

Arthur was closed, she decided. Closed to people, closed even to himself. She began to lie down, pulling the expensive covers around herself. Sighing, she closed her eyes.

* * *

Blinking, she felt her eyelids flutter. Squinting through a haze of sleep, she looked at the digital clock by the bedside. 2.30am.

The Architect swallowed, her throat feeling dry. Deciding she needed water, she began to get up, moving quietly across the bedroom floor. As she opened the door, she kept a careful eye on the door of the lounge.

To her surprise, it was open. As she walked through the hall towards the kitchen, she could not resist peeking through, to see if Arthur was awake.

She paused by the door.

To her surprise, he was seemingly asleep. Lying stretched out on the couch, covered by a couple of blankets, his face looked calm, sweet. She began to move forward, tempted to reach out and stroke his hair.

Suddenly, a thought struck her.

_No. I can't do that._ _But he did it to me. _

Before she could argue with her conscience, she turned, hurrying towards the main bedroom. Reaching under the bed, she pulled out the PASIV, trying to ignore how it glinted in the shafts of moonlight. As she grabbed the handle, she paused, her heart beginning to pound.

He would never forgive her. But, she reasoned, she needed to know. She'd felt exposed, as Arthur had entered her dreams, dredging up painful memories of teenage years she'd wanted to leave buried. With a small spurt of anger, she began to walk towards the lounge.

Arthur sighed, murmuring slightly in his sleep. She froze, concerned he was wakening, but as he turned and settled back down, she breathed. Calmly, she began to open the device, unwinding the two IVs. As she plugged one into her arm, she paused. Before Arthur could move, she attached the IV to him.

Swallowing, she laid down on the floor, next to the PASIV. Reaching over, she hit the centre button.

* * *

She blinked. She was back in Arthur's room, and to her shock, standing in his closet. Through the door, she could see him, sitting on the bed. His head was in his hands.

"Arthur?" she stiffened, realising it was his mother tapping on the door. "Sweetheart, can I come in?"

"OK." His voice was cracked.

His mother entered, frowning sympathetically. "Arthur, please. Don't be-" she paused - "like this. It is for your own good!"

"Own good?" he said, raising his head. Ariadne bit her lip. His face was pale, but his eyes were red-rimmed. "How can sending me to a clinic be for my own good?!"

His mother sat next to him, looping an arm around his shoulders.

"Arthur, it is for your own good. I'm worried about you. This is just so you gain a little weight!"

Ariadne felt as if her heart was being ripped open. Suddenly, her eyes widened. Arthur was looking right at her.

"You..." he said, his voice soft, and stunned. He began to get up. "What are you doing here? Get out! GET OUT!"

Suddenly, she felt herself blinking, her eyes opening. Turning her head, she froze.

Arthur, his face rigid with anger, was staring at her from his position on the couch.

**Thank you for reading - please leave a review, it is appreciated!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. **

Ariadne swallowed. Arthur's face was set in lines of anger, and his eyes were narrowed. The last time she had seen that expression was during the Fischer inception, when he and Cobb had exchanged harsh words, and she feared, potentially blows. Now, the look was directed at her. She nearly shivered.

"Ariadne, if you want to go into my mind, all you have to do is ask." His voice was coldly polite.

"Arthur..." she looked at him, suddenly feeling emboldened. "You went into mine. Without asking my permission. Can you blame me for wanting to do the same thing?"

He shook his head. "No," he said, slowly. He smiled, faintly. "I suppose we share too many of the same traits."

"Please-" Ariadne swallowed, before slipping her fingers into his. "Please, let me help you. You've already seen what happened to me."

"Did I?" Arthur's eyes narrowed again. "I saw you being bullied and humiliated in High School. That's all I saw."

"Same here," she countered.

"Touche."

"But what happened to you? You were sent to a clinic?"

Arthur exhaled slowly, leaning against the couch. "I was."

"But..." she paused, unsure of how to frame her words. "But you..."

He looked at her. "You're not going to give up, are you?"

She shook her head. "Arthur, I admit that I was hurt in the past. But you...you won't admit it. Please, let me help you."

He looked at her, directly. "You really want to go further?"

She nodded. "Yes." She began to lace her fingers through his. "I do."

He sighed, and began to re-attach the IV to his arm. "Come on."

* * *

She blinked. She was sitting in an office, watching as Arthur, with both parents sitting either side of him, faced a doctor, a middle aged woman. She smiled reassuringly at Arthur.

"Now, the whole point of this process is to re-educate you about food," she began. "You're underweight, and you can't blame your parents for being concerned."

"But-" Arthur swallowed, and then fell silent. She looked at him. "Arthur, I appreciate this is difficult for you. Teenage boys are very resistant to the idea of having an eating disorder, but-"

"I don't have an eating disorder!" Arthur burst out, nearly in tears. "I'm just thin!"

"Arthur, these people are trying to help you," his father admonished him. "Please, be a little more co-operative." He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Doctor. What's the programme?"

"Well, he'll be consuming some very high calorie foods. We're going to try and get his weight to increase by a kilo a week."

Arthur swallowed. "I'm here!"

"I know," the doctor said, almost patronisingly. "Arthur, I know that this is probably very distressing for you, but we'll do our best to ensure its comfortable for you."

He nodded, numbly.

"Fine. Let's escort you to your room, shall we?"

Ariadne blinked. Suddenly, she was in another room. Arthur, dressed in a plain white medical tunic, was standing on a scale. The doctor shook his head.

"You need to eat more, Arthur. You're not gaining enough!"

Arthur shook his head. "I can't."

"Sure you can. A teenage boy like you should be eating twice the amount!"

Arthur blinked back tears. "If you say so."

Ariadne could not bear to watch anymore. "Wake me up!" Wake me up!"

She blinked. Arthur was looking at her. "Hey, its ok." She swallowed, desperately wanting him to take her into his arms. "Its ok."

"So, now you know." He looked at her. "Do you think any of them ever listened to me? No."

She reached out and touched his arm. "Arthur, I-"

"You know how it feels?" he snapped, the painful memories clearly eating away at his core. "Know what it feels like to be sent away from home, to be judged on what does and does not go into your mouth? Let me guess, your parents sent you to a fat farm, didn't they?!"

She blinked, and looked at him, stunned. His face sagged. "Oh, God, Ariadne, I'm so sorr-"

"Forget it," she said, curtly, getting up. "Just forget it, Arthur."

**All readers appreciated, and I'd love some reviews, thank you!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. **

"Ariadne!" Arthur moved after her, his conscience prickling and chafing him for his sharp comment. "Ari, please! Don't go!"

She turned, and looked at him. He blinked, realising he was beginning to sound rather pathetic.

"No, its fine," she said, her words slightly clipped. "Best I leave. See you tomorrow."

Before he could stop her, she was moving into the bedroom, pulling back on the jeans and jacket she'd worn earlier that evening. He could only watch, helplessly, as she walked to the front door. "Bye."

"Look!" He tried to move in front of her. "Look, stop!" His voice held a note of authority. "Don't just walk out, what I said - please, let's talk it through-"

She shook her head. "No need." She looked at him, her eyes clear and tearless. "I think you've said all I need to know. Good night."

He stopped, watching helplessly, as she opened the door, closing it behind her with a sharp click.

* * *

Ariadne walked down the street, not caring that it was the early hours, or that she was exposing herself to potential danger. Arthur's words, delivered in that sneering tone, were echoing repeatedly in her head.

_"Did you parents send you to a fat farm?"_

She blinked, trying to keep back tears which threatened to blur her vision. The comment revealed to her that her deepest fears - that Arthur would always see her as a fat girl - were confirmed. She stopped, trying to gather her thoughts.

Suddenly, she heard a kissing noise, and turned. A man, obviously drunk, was looking at her, leering. She shivered.

"Hey sweetheart, come home with me."

She shuddered, and began to hurry onwards, her rapid footsteps leaving him and his crudity behind. As she reached her apartment, she almost broke into a run.

When she reached the safety of the small rooms, she immediately headed for the bedroom. Stripping her clothes off, she pulled up the covers, and pulled them around her. Shivering, she tried to block out the sound of Arthur's voice.

She closed her eyes.

* * *

Cobb rubbed his forehead, as he woke to the sound of a frantic banging on his front door. He frowned. Late night callers inevitably meant bad news.

"All right!" he snapped, getting out of bed. As he walked to the front door, he peered through the peep hole. To his astonishment, he saw Arthur. Slightly dishevelled, and out of breath, the Point Man was a far cry from the immaculate figure he generally relied upon. Cobb opened the door, and frowned.

"Arthur? Its nearly 4am. What is it?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Of course. Tomorrow, at the warehouse." Cobb started to close the door, but blinked in shock as Arthur jammed his foot in it.

"No, I need to talk to you." Cobb stopped and looked more closely at the other man. Arthur's face was pale, and his eyes looked slightly red.

Cobb relented. "OK, come in."

Arthur entered, and Cobb gestured to the lounge. "Come on. Good thing the kids are with Miles."

Arthur followed him, and at Cobb's direction, sat on the couch. Cobb sat opposite him.

"What is it?"

Arthur leaned forward. "I've..." he swallowed. "I've really hurt Ariadne." He blinked. To his own ears, he sounded like an adolescent, and the reaction on Cobb's face confirmed it.

"What?"

"I..." he swallowed. "I found out that she was..." he paused "overweight as a teenager."

"And that's a problem?"

"No!" Arthur looked at Cobb. "Its not a problem to me...but -" he paused, and bit his lip. "But its a problem to her." He carefully ommitted mentioning his comment.

The Extractor studied him carefully. "Why is it a problem to her?"

"Well, we shared a dream," Arthur admitted. "Her projection of me - I was standing there, shouting abuse at her, calling her fat. That's not what I think, not at all."

"So...what are you saying?" Cobb shook his head. "Arthur, its really late, and I don't think you're making a lot of sense. I think you maybe need to go to bed, try and sleep." He got up. "Come on, I'll show you out."

The Point Man got up, woodenly, allowing the other man to usher him to the door.

* * *

Ariadne swallowed, and turned over in bed. Everytime she closed her eyes, she saw Arthur's face, and heard those ugly words.

She got up, and began to walk to the kitchen. As she opened her cupboard doors, she felt herself recoil slightly with disgust.

Junk food. All of it. Crackers. Chips. No wonder he was repulsed. She started to pull the packets off the shelves, and move them to the trash. As they fell into the trash can, she nodded.

* * *

Arthur sighed as he let himself back into his apartment. It seemed colder and emptier than when Ariadne had been there. He moved into his bedroom, and his heart sank further.

He could still smell her scent. He cursed himself, knowing he had potentially severed for ever the closeness they had shared.

He couldn't bear anyone knowing his secrets. And for that, he had abused her.

He began to undress, even though it was after 4, and he knew he'd be having to leave in a couple of hours. As he sank down into the bed, he started to close his eyes.

Suddenly, they jerked open. "Extraction," he muttered. Nodding, he rolled on his side, hoping to slide into sleep.

**All readers and reviews appreciated, thank you! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer**: **Inception does not belong to me. Its been a while since I updated a fic twice in two days - but this one just won't seem to leave me alone! Hope you like it. **

Ariadne got out of bed to the shrill bleep of her alarm. She swallowed, and began to pad into the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, she shuddered.

Her skin was pale, and eyes slightly bloodshot. She looked at her tousled hair, and turning, reached for the shower. As the water began to gush down, she began to carefully take off her pyjamas, that she'd wrapped herself in after returning from Arthur's apartment.

She looked down at her body, and suddenly thought of how Arthur would see it. _Fat._ The word was still ringing in her ears, complete with the clipped way he'd pronounced the t. She leaned against the side of the bathroom wall - when he looked at her, did he see her body as it was, or did he imagine it swathed in-

She stopped, and shook her head. She climbed for the shower, and let the hot water cascade down her back, flushing her skin pink. As she turned the water off, she reached for her towel. Carefully, she wrapped it round her body while she walked into the bedroom.

As she began to towel off, she noticed her cell phone was flashing. Picking it up, she realised a voicemail had been left. She frowned, and decided to ignore it.

Opening her closet, she began to flick through her clothes. Everything looked too small. She bit her lip as she pulled out a pair of jeans. When she'd worn them previously, she'd noticed how Arthur had given her an appraising look.

She swallowed. _What if he was looking to see how fat I was? _

She tossed the jeans back in the closet. She had to find something loose. She reached for a baggy shirt, and a pair of loose fitting cotton pants. After thirty minutes, she finally felt ready to go out.

* * *

"Arthur?"

The Point Man looked up. Eames was looking at him. "What?"

"I said, would you please pass me the file that you've been sitting on for at least ten minutes," he responded, patiently. "I have asked."

"Oh, sure." Arthur practically tossed him the sheaf of papers, and sank back into his chair. The Forger frowned. "Ou with it."

"What?"

"Out with it. You've been sitting there, staring into space, for at least the last ten minutes. What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Arthur tilted his head, and focused on his laptop. Suddenly, the door opened and Ariadne walked in. Eames' eyes widened. "Ariadne...are you allright?"

She nodded. "Fine," she said, almost listlessly. The Forger frowned as she walked across to her desk, her clothes almost swamping her. Arthur's eyes widened.

"Ariadne-" he got up, and walked over to her. "Ari, can we talk? Please?"

She shook her head. "I've got a lot to do today, Arthur."

He swallowed. "Ariadne, about last night, I-"

"I think you've said enough."

"It was late, I was over tired, I think we both were-"

"No, Arthur." She pushed her chair. "I need to get some errands done."

"Ari?" his face creased. "Why are you wearing that? Its too big for you?!"

She turned, and looked at him.

"I don't fill this Arthur. Unlike everything else."

He looked shocked. "Ari-"

"No, Arthur. Excuse me."

Feeling a rush of self-hatred, Arthur turned and watched the Architect walk away from him.

**All reviews appreciated, thank you!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. **

Ariadne bent her head over the filing cabinet, checking through her blueprints. A shadow loomed, and she looked up, frowning.

"Can I help?" Eames asked, smiling. Her shoulders sagged slightly, and she bit her lip. "Not...really," she admitted, her hand still in the drawer. "I should get on."

"Well, its just..." the Forger's voice trailed off, and he looked at her, kindly. "There does seem to be a lot of bad feeling between you and Arthur at the moment. I-"

"Did Arthur tell you to come and talk to me?" she asked, suddenly feeling furious. Eames' eyes creased, and he shook his head. "No."

"Well, I-" she swallowed, suddenly feeling ashamed. The thoughts swirling through her mind suddenly seemed too private, too delicate, to reveal to the older man. She pulled a blueprint out of the drawer, and closed it firmly. "I'm fine, trust me."

Eames nodded, sensing the need to leave her alone. "OK. But, if you want to talk..."

"Thanks."

She watched as Eames headed back to his desk. Sighing, she walked back down to the basement, where she was involved in crafting and creating the models for their work.

As she entered, she headed for the craft table. Picking up her pencil, she began to annotate her blueprint. Swallowing, she decided to focus.

* * *

Arthur frowned as he watched Eames talk to Ariadne. He sighed, and tried to focus upon his own work, but as he watched the Forger smile, and seemingly make overtures, his patience began to dissipate. Swallowing, he decided to make the first move.

He had noticed what she was wearing. Clothes that were too large for her, as though she were trying to conceal herself. He frowned, feeling a sense of unease. Finally, he pushed back his chair, and began to walk down to the basement.

* * *

Ariadne swallowed. The PASIV was sitting temptingly on a chair. Cobb always insisted on leaving one in the basement, just in case she needed to explore her designs. Unable to stop herself, she moved over to it, carefully plugging it into her arm. Setting the timer for five minutes, she closed her eyes.

She blinked. She was sitting in a restaurant, alone. Turning her head, she noticed that it was expensive, carefully decorated, beautifully set out. She looked down at herself. She was wearing a simple black dress, with heels.

"Ariadne!" came an impatient voice. Turning round, she smiled. Arthur was approaching, a frown on his face, marring his features. He briefly kissed her on the forehead, then sat down opposite.

"Sorry I'm late," he said, his tone almost off hand. Opening the menu, he began to study it. She swallowed, looking down at hers.

"Just order salad," he snapped, suddenly looking up.

"What?" she asked, puzzled.

"Salad. That's all you need. Trust me." He scowled and looked at her.

"But, Arthur, I-"

"Ariadne. Do you want to get fat again?" He shook his head. "Just order salad, and be done with it!"

"But-"

"I'm saying this to you for your own benefit." He leaned forward. "Don't you want to be with me? Don't you realise I won't tolerate you if you-"

Ariadne shook her head. This was a nightmare. She looked at Arthur, hardly willing to believe what her own mind was projecting to her.

"Wake me up!" she pleaded. "Wake me up!"

Suddenly, she blinked. Arthur was looking directly into her eyes, a worried expression etched onto his face. "Ari! Ari, are you-?"

Taking one look, she felt the tears beginning to spill down her cheeks. Silently, Arthur opened his arms, and pulled her into them.

"Its all right," he whispered, as she buried her head into his shoulder. "Its going to be all right."

**All reviews appreciated, thank you!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer**: **Inception does not belong to me. **

Ariadne choked slightly as she sobbed against Arthur's shoulder. He held her close, protectively. To him, she felt thin and feather light under the smock like clothing she was wearing.

"Do you want to tell me what you saw?" he asked, softly. She broke apart from him slightly, and shook her head. "No, its nothing, really."

"Ariadne, I found you under, and you were in tears." His voice was almost stern. "Please - what I said - I-"

"Arthur, it doesn't matter," she said, quickly. "I need to get back to work. So do you."

She began to get up, and started to walk away. Her face was pale. He looked after her, his lips tightening. A plan was hatching in his mind, causing him disgust, and excitement.

* * *

Ariadne scowled at her sketch pad. Trying to draft designs for this job was proving problematic - nothing seemed to be working. She swallowed, realising how hungry she was. All she'd eaten that day had been an apple, and some cheese. She blinked, and began to get up.

Suddenly, the door bell to her apartment rang. She put down the sketch pad, and went to it.

As she peered through the peephole, she blinked in surprise. Arthur was standing at the door, looking slightly awkward. She put her hand on the handle, and opened it. "Hi," she said, uncertainly.

"Evening," Arthur responded. "Thought I'd come over, see how you were."

She nodded. "Thanks, but I'm fine."

He looked at her. "May I come in?"

"Oh, of course."

He entered the apartment, and she gestured to the couch. "Have a seat."

He settled himself, thinking calmly of what he'd left in her apartment the previous day. It had been too easy, he surmised, to carefully break in, whilst excusing himself from the warehouse.

"Thank you." He looked at her. "I want to apologise, properly. For what I said the previous night." He swallowed, aware it may be too little, too late. "It was inexcusable."

"Its all right." She sat down next to him, and on impulse, he took her hands in his. "I went into your dreams."

Arthur shrugged. "You were concerned." He studied her face, noting how pale she was. The thought of what he was planning to do made him feel slightly sick, but he felt he had to do it. "But, it worked."

"What did?" she whispered.

"The clinic. They gave me the nutrients I needed, I gained some weight, my mother stopped worrying." He smiled at her. "But, it was hard when it was time to go back to school." He looked at his hands.

She swallowed. "I see."

Arthur tightened his grip round her fingers. "Please, talk to me."

She shook her head. "There's nothing to say." Gently, she disengaged her hands from his. "Coffee?"

He nodded. "Please."

As she walked into the kitchen, he got up, the small phial of sedative feeling uncomfortably prominent in his pocket. He smiled at her as she reached for the coffee cups. "Come on. Let me do this."

"You don't have to-" she protested, but realised he was serious when his hand firmly came down on hers. "No, I mean it. I can do this."

Nodding dumbly, she walked back into the living room. He frowned - she was so passive, so willing to let him take control. He carefully pulled the vial out, and shook a few drops into a cup. Stirring the contents, he picked them up, and walked into the living room.

"Here," he said smiling. She accepted it, gratefully. "Thank you."

Arthur watched her take a sip. As she put the cup down, her expression changed. "Ohhh..."

"Are you all right?" he asked, courteously. She swallowed. "I just feel so-"

He watched as she fell backwards, her head hitting the cushion. Swallowing, he got up, and walked into her bedroom. Reaching underneath the bed, he pulled out the PASIV.

As he carried it back into the living room, he felt a surge of guilt. As he plugged the IV into her arm, he felt himself stiffen. Quickly, he attached himself to the PASIV, and hit the centre button.

**All reviews appreciated, thank you!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** **Inception does not belong to me.**

Arthur swallowed, and blinked. He suddenly realised that he was standing in what looked like a public bathroom - but as he assessed the expensive looking decor, began to realise.

He was in a restaurant.

Swallowing, he carefully pushed open the door, and started to walk into the main area of the establishment. Scanning the crowd, he noticed. Ariadne, Eames, and Cobb, sitting at a table. And, he noticed, so was he.

_My projection. _

Discreetly, Arthur walked across the room, heading for the bar. Settling on one of the free stools, he decided to wait, and watch to see what happened.

The four were seemingly eating, but he noticed that Ariadne had only salad in front of her. He frowned, shaking his head. Suddenly, she pushed back her chair, and excused herself, leaving the table. He watched her as she walked through the restaurant, heading for the Ladies'.

He swallowed. After what seemed an overly long length of time, she returned, only, he noticed, her cheeks were slightly flushed. She apologised to the others, and sat down.

Arthur sat at the bar, ignoring the projections who glanced at him, intrusively. A cold core of fear was starting to form in his heart, and shaking his head, he picked up the glass of water that had appeared at his elbow. Ariadne was reaching for her coat, and he noticed the other Arthur turning to her. Shaking her head, she slipped the coat on, and began to leave.

He waited. As she began to walk, he followed her. Followed her down the street, and watched.

First she disappeared into a convenience store. He slunk in, and concealed himself amongst the metal racks.

Calmly, Ariadne began to pull items off the shelves. Bags of potato chips, candy bars, a bag of Twinkies...Arthur watched as she approached the cashier, and paid. Bundling her goods into a bag, she began to leave.

Arthur watched, biting his lip. Suddenly, he realised that she was heading to a lift at the back of the shop. As she closed the door, he hurried after her.

At the next level, he realised he was back in her apartment. To his shock, the kitchen table was strewn with garbage - the candy bar wrappers, the empty potato chip bags, and some left over twinkies. He swallowed, wondering where she had gone.

He looked in the rooms, and saw her, lying in bed, on her side. Frowning, he wandered back through, passing by the bathroom. As he looked in, he blinked. Shocked, he hurried to the lift, determined to get himself out of the dream.

As he closed the door, he fell another level. He blinked. Standing across from him, where Ariadne and Eames, in the Warehouse.

"You all right?" Eames said, kindly. She nodded. "Fine."

"I only ask, because you don't look well." There was a note of concern in Eames' voice that Arthur had never heard before.

"No, Eames, I'm-" She broke off. Arthur looked. He himself had just walked in. Shaking with silent fury, he got back in the lift. After a couple of seconds, the ground began to shake.

* * *

He opened his eyes, and turned to look at Ariadne. She was still asleep. Carefully, slowly, he got up, pulling the IV out of his arm.

_You're bulimic, _he thought, angrily.

He sat up, waiting for her to stir. As she did so, he raised an eyebrow. "Hey."

She sat up. "What happened? I just fell asleep..." her voice trailed off as she looked at his expression. Arthur nodded.

"You did."

"Arthur, what is it?"

"Are you hungry?" his voice was soft.

"What?"

"I said, are you hungry?"

"Arthur, I'm not, I-"

He nodded. "Thought not. Then, when you starve and binge, you probably don't know what hunger is!"

She stood up, her face paling. "Arthur, calm down, you-"

"You need to eat!" he snapped. "And trust me, I'll make sure you do!"

Her jaw dropping, she watched as he turned and furiously left the room.

**All reviews appreciated, thank you!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** **Inception does not belong to me.**

Ariadne looked at his retreating back. "Arthur!"

He stopped, and she saw him flexing his hands. "Yes, Ariadne?"

"Arthur, you cannot just turn and walk away!" her voice was almost fearful. "We need to talk about this! About what you said!"

"Oh, do we?" he responded, turning, his eyes flashing. "Because I've seen everything. And now I know the truth - that you've been lying to me, lying to all of us." His facial expression was pained, and she noticed the hurt in his eyes. "Why couldn't you just tell us the truth? Tell me the truth? Why?"

Ariadne swallowed. His anger was overwhelming, almost oppressive. She leaned forward.

"Arthur," she said, her voice calm, "has it occurred to you that some things are none of your business?!"

The Point Man's eyes widened, and his mouth twisted. He looked at her, the muscles in his next visibly tensing. Without another word, he turned, and before she could open her mouth to speak again, he'd left, the door closing loudly behind him.

* * *

Cobb swallowed as he knocked on the door. He rarely visited the Point Man at home, due to his belief that Arthur put in longer hours than necessary. But, it was late. And Arthur, he knew, was never, ever late.

He knocked again, biting his lip. After what seemed an interminable wait, the door began to open. Arthur stood holding it, his clothes neat, and his expression neutral. "Cobb."

"Arthur." The Extractor's mind went blank, and he swallowed. "I'm just wondering...any reason for you not being at the warehouse?"

The Point Man swallowed. "Oh, sorry. Got...caught up in something."

"Well, just make sure you're there." Cobb nodded. "We need you for this."

Arthur blinked. "Why didn't you ring?"

Cobb shook his head. "You left your cell phone at Ariadne's."

"Oh."

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, fine, I just need..." he paused, trying to marshall his thoughts. "I'll be there soon, ok?"

"Just make sure you are." Cobb had to bite back a growing irritation. It was not like Arthur to be so evasive.

"I will be."

* * *

Ariadne looked at her designs, and bit her lip. The drawings were not as good as she'd hoped. There were too many gaps, too many areas where the projections could slip through.

She swallowed, trying to focus, and push the ugly encounter with Arthur to the back of her mind. But all she saw when she'd closed her eyes the previous night was his face - angry, and accusing.

She shook her head. She felt she could not explain, or defend herself. He'd find out. He always seemed to find out. She shook her head, trying to quell her nervousness. The previous night, he'd seemed so -

"Ari?"

She blinked, and looked up. He was standing in the doorway, an almost concillatory look on his face. He began walking towards her. "I think we need to talk," he said.

His voice was almost kind, but she shook her head. "Not now."

"Ariadne..." he swallowed, clearly trying to marshall his thoughts. "I want to help you."

She sagged slightly. "Why?"

"Because you have..." he looked at her slight frame, and frowned. "Just come to my place after we finish here, ok?"

The Architect looked at him. "I can't, I have other plans."

Arthur took a step closer. Before she could move, he'd put his hand on hers. "Please. Please."

She took a step back. Was he...begging? There was a pleading tone in his voice that she'd never heard before. His eyes were soft, reminding her of molten gold. "I don't know, I mean last night-"

"That's the reason we have to talk."

"But-"

"Please." He looked at her. "Do you want me to get on my knees, and beg?"

She shook her head. "I think we've both been humiliated enough." She bit her lip, watching his reaction. His face clouded slightly, but then he nodded. "Touche."

"I do want to talk to you, but-"

"Then we can do so later," he interrupted. "I'll see you at my place."

She looked at him, mouth open, as he turned and left the room.

* * *

Eames looked over at Arthur. The Point Man seemed tense, and withdrawn. Finally, the Forger cleared his throat. "Are you allright?"

"Perfectly," Arthur replied, not looking over. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you were late this morning, and..." Eames' voice trailed off. "There's some tension between you and Ariadne at the moment."

Arthur raised his eyebrows in surprise. "There's no tension," he said, slightly stiffly, as he got up. "Not as far as I'm concerned."

"Yes, but Arthur-"

"Eames." Arthur shook his head. "Leave it."

Puzzled, and annoyed, Eames watched as the younger man left the room.

* * *

Ariadne flagged down a cab to take her to Arthur's, her nervousness growing as the vehicle neared its way to the Point Man's apartment. She was trying to piece together events.

She'd told him her secrets, he'd invaded her dreams, she'd invaded his. But then-

She swallowed. Why did he have to be so arrogant, so determined to push his way in? She smoothed down the dress she was wearing, hoping it concealed enough. As the taxi drew up in front of the apartment building, she took a deep breath.

She'd hoped, previously, she could confide in him. But that now seemed a very distant possibility. As the taxi came to a halt, she paid the driver, opened the door, and headed towards his apartment.

As she approached the door, her heart began hammering. He'd seemed so...cold. Controlling. Swallowing, she knocked on the door.

It swung open, instantly. "Ariadne, glad you came early." Arthur ushered her in. "Come on."

"Arthur, why did you-" she stopped. Her jaw dropped. He gently nudged her towards the lounge. "Look."

She bit her lip. In front of them both was a table, on which he'd served a meal. He looked at her, his features settling into an expression of satisfaction. She shivered slightly - there was an air of determination that she'd seen in relation to work, but never in relation to a person.

"I told you, I was going to get you to eat." His voice was quiet. "I suggest we both sit down."

"Arthur, you -"

"What?"

"You-"

"You're sick," he interrupted, and reached for her arm. "Come on, sit down - and do as I say."

**All reviews appreciated, thank you!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer**:** Inception does not belong to me. **

Ariadne looked at Arthur, uneasily. Placed on the table was a bowl of salad, and the plate in front of her held a portion of salmon. Arthur picked up his fork.

"You're not going to begin?" he asked, mildly. She looked at him, shaking her head.

"Arthur...where has all this come from?" her voice sounded timid. "Why are you...behaving like this?!"

He scowled, his face darkening. "Behaving like what?"

"Behaving like such a bully!" Her voice had risen in pitch. "What is it - you think you can make me eat?" She began to get up, and pushed her chair away.

Arthur began to get up. His face was almost scarlet with anger. "Ariadne. Stay right there." His voice was low with fury. "I asked you to come here so you would eat. Now, please do so."

"You think you can control me?" she whispered, shocked. "Where did you get that idea from?"

"From you!" he snapped. "From what I saw...in your dreams! Why can't you be honest with me? I've been honest with you!"

"I have been honest!" she protested. "What is it that you think I haven't told you?!"

"When did it start?" he said, angrily. "When did you start eating abnormally?!"

She paled. "Arthur-"

"I know I was too thin as a teenager," he said, coldly. "It was metabolic, nothing I could do about it. But you - you were controlling your weight artificially. Care to tell me how?"

"I don't have to tell you anything!" She was beginning to walk away from the table. "You think you can just invade my mind and make assumptions?!"

"I only did it," Arthur practically shouted, "because I care!"

She shook her head. "No," she said, softly. "You just want to prove what a big man you are." Her voice was scornful. "You don't really care about me. If you did, you wouldn't behave like this." She gestured towards the food, and pushed her chair in.

"Do you have any idea," she continued, "what it is to walk around feeling as though you're inadequate, less of a woman, because of the way you look? Maybe you felt it as a teenager, but I bet you don't feel it now."

Stunned, Arthur watched her. Her movements were agitated.

"You don't know what its like to look in a mirror and be disgusted by your appearance, and to expect everyone else to be disgusted. You don't. You like the way you look - look at the way you dress!"

He blanched.

"You get looks in the street, you love it." Tears were streaming down her face now. "Do you ever feel embarrassed or ashamed over how you look now?"

Arthur shook his head. "No," he whispered.

"Do you ever look in the mirror and think you're too fat?"

He blinked. "No," he admitted. "Ariadne-"

"Well, if you did, you might understand." She shook her head. "But you don't. You say you care - but I-" she sank down onto the couch, beginning to sob.

Arthur stepped towards her, and sitting down, began to wrap his arms around her.

"Ssshhh," he whispered, holding her close. "Talk to me. Please."

**Thank you for reading - please leave a review, it is appreciated!**


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer:** Inception does not belong to me. **

"Come on," Arthur whispered, rubbing her back. "We can talk about this."

Ariadne got up, and began to disentangle his arms from round her. "There's nothing to say." She shook her head. "I've said all I need to, really."

"Ariadne!" Arthur got up, and stepped to directly face her. "You need to listen to me. If you still have these thoughts, these feelings, than we- I-"

"Can what?" she asked, almost sullenly. "You can what?"

"I can help you," he said, quietly. "Please." He reached for her hand. "Let me."

She turned her head, looking away from him, and at the food, lying congealing on the table. "Does this mean you're just going to keep coming round cooking for me?" She bit her lip. "It goes much deeper than that, Arthur."

"Well, I like to be practical." The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. "I see a problem, I-"

"You solve it," she said, an edge of bitterness creeping into her voice. "I guess I'm your latest project."

"Ariadne, I didn't mean it like that." There was a harder edge to his voice. He began to move more closely towards her, winding his arms around her. "I just want to help."

"But when its -" Ariadne stopped, unsure of what to say next. "Arthur I-"

"Just tell me the truth," he said, gently, pulling her close. "Are you still making yourself binge and vomit?"

As soon as the words had left his mouth, he shuddered. They were such ugly words, and he found it hard to reconcile them with the Architect. She pulled more closely to him.

"No," she whispered.

"Good," he said, softly. He frowned. For a moment, he thought he felt her shiver. "Because you don't need to," he whispered. "Come on."

Before she could protest, he was tugging her towards the door. Suddenly, she found herself standing in the hallway of the bedroom. "Arthur-"

He kissed her neck. "Come on."

Slowly, she began to respond. He was running his hands gently down her sides, tracing the shape of her waist with his fingers. She began to lean into him. He, carefully, began to run his hand over her abdomen.

Suddenly, she pulled him close, pulling his mouth to hers. He responded by kissing her deeply. Before she could move again, he'd turned and they had both fallen onto the bed, him holding her close. He began to rise her shirt with his fingers, tickling her skin.

"Arthur," she whispered.

He smiled. Gently, he continued to caress her skin, letting her fall back down on him. She reached for his arm, and he wrapped it round her.

"Glad you're here," he whispered.

Ariadne smiled as their lips met.

* * *

"So, what do you want to order?"

Ariadne put down the menu, and smiled at Arthur. They were sitting across from each other, and she couldn't help but feel a glow at how his hand was reaching towards hers, under the table. Suddenly, he looked up.

"Oh, here come Eames and..." he frowned. "A date?"

Ariadne looked over, and her heart sank. The woman Eames was with seemed impossibly beautiful - dark, with large, alluring eyes, and lips carefully outlined in red. She smiled as she approached.

"Hi," she said, softly. "Lila."

Arthur got to his feet. "Pleased to meet you," he said, taking her hand. Ariadne frowned, feeling a stab of jealousy. She glanced uneasily at Arthur.

As the meal was served, she frowned. Why had she ordered so much? And why was it dripping in butter, and grease? She scowled at her plate, pushing it away slightly.

"Excuse me," she whispered, getting up, and heading for the door.

Arthur immediately pushed back his chair and followed her. As she reached the door, Arthur put his hand on her shoulder. "What's going on?" he demanded.

"I just..." she swallowed. "I just don't feel very comfortable...Eames and that woman...I..."

Arthur's face darkened. "And you didn't eat," he said, accusingly.

"Well, I tried but its so fattening, and-"

"Well, Ariadne, you know something?" Arthur snapped. "If you're really that bothered about your weight, go on a diet! Then I wouldn't be embarrassed by being seen with a -" he paused, and glared at her.

"Porker!" he snapped out.

Ariadne looked at him, trembling. "What did you say?" she whispered. Looking at his face, she shuddered, and began to turn away, running. Suddenly, she slipped, falling-

-and blinked, sitting upright in bed. Her heart hammering, she turned her head, and saw the sleeping Arthur lying next to her. He was settled in comfortably, with his arm draped over the pillow. She began to get up, pushing back the covers.

She spotted her clothes on the floor, and began to pick them up. Hurrying into the bathroom, she began to dress. She had to leave. As quickly as possible.

**Reviews are always welcome and appreciated, thank you! **


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer**:** Inception does not belong to me. **

Arthur swallowed, and turned over, his hand flopping over to the other side of the bed. As it hit the empty space, he began to stir, his sleep broken.

Blinking, he started to open his eyes. They widened as he began to take in what he saw.

An empty space.

As though unable to comprehend it, he began to spread his hands out, checking it. The side of the bed was not entirely smooth, but slightly rumpled, as though someone had got up, and left, in a hurry. Frowning, he began to swing his legs round, wondering if she was still in the apartment.

His feet hit the wooden floor and he winced at the impact. He smoothed his boxers, and reached for a shirt. Pulling it on, he began to walk through the apartment's space.

"Ariadne?"

No answer.

Frowning, he began to walk through the lounge and into the kitchen. A small hope was growing she might be in the latter, making coffee. Or drinking water. Or-

It was empty.

Arthur, shocked, walked back to the lounge, and sank down on the couch. He tried to make sense of what had happened.

She'd left. With no explanation.

Rubbing his forehead, he closed his eyes.

* * *

Ariadne wandered back to her apartment, almost in a daze. The harsh words Arthur had spoken to her were still ringing in her ears, as though obscuring her hearing.

She stopped in the street, and took a deep breath.

"Are you allright, honey?"

She turned her head. A woman, easily a decade older than her, was looking at her with concern. Ariadne swallowed, suddenly aware of how she must look.

"I'm fine," she said, stretching her lips into a smile. The woman nodded, but looked unconvinced. As she moved away, Ariadne felt a surge of relief.

She continued walking. As she walked, she noticed something. Or, some people. Other people. Women.

A young woman was waiting at the bus stop. Ariadne felt her heart almost seethe with jealousy. The woman was slim, blonde, and with a small waist. She was beautifully made up, and the Architect suddenly wondered what she looked like in comparison.

A mess. A _fat_ mess, she thought, bitterly.

She checked her watch. It was just after 7am. Realising she had to be at the warehouse all too soon, she hurried on, determined to reach her apartment, and hide from the world.

Hide from the world.

And from Arthur.

* * *

"Are you allright?"

Arthur looked up. Eames was sitting in his chair, looking at him. But, Arthur noted, it wasn't with his usual smirk. He looked almost concerned.

"Fine," he said, briefly, turning his head back to his laptop screen.

"I don't agree," Eames said quietly.

"And what makes you say that?" Arthur retorted.

"The fact you haven't noticed that there's a coffee stain on your thigh," Eames pointed out. "The fact you haven't noticed that several papers are on the floor. And that you've just been sitting, staring at that screen, for about ten minutes."

Arthur looked at him. "Well, maybe you're right."

"Do you...?"

"What?"

"Want to talk about it?"

A silence descended between the two of them, and Arthur continued looking at his laptop. Eames, feeling slightly stung, turned his head away.

Then, Arthur broke the silence. "Eames?"

"Yes, Arthur?"

"If you were with someone..." he paused, embarrassment creeping into his voice, "and they left, early in the morning, without saying anything, what would you do?"

Eames looked at him, steadily. Arthur blinked, awaiting a sarcastic comment.

"It depends on who they were," Eames said, softly. "And whether or not I cared enough to try and find out why."

* * *

Ariadne finished buttoning her shirt. It was loose enough, she decided, to wear. It hid everything, which is what she required. She did not want to draw attention to any little bulges or wobbles.

She swallowed, and picked up her hair brush. She knew what she had to do. What she needed to do. And no-one, she decided, not even Arthur, would stop her.

**Thank you for reading - please leave a review, it is appreciated!**


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: **Inception does not belong to me.**

Arthur sighed irritably, and threw his pencil down. He was not getting through the notes he'd planned - in fact, they were barely making sense. He rubbed his forehead, exhaling slowly.

"Arthur?"

He looked up. Eames was looking at him directly, and quizzically. He shrugged. "Bad day."

"Indeed." The Forger's tone was wry. "So bad, in fact, you broke your pencil."

Arthur's eyes widened. He had thrown it down with such ferocity it had snapped. "Oh." He leaned back in his seat, deflated. "I-"

"Do you fancy a drink?" Eames interrupted.

"Eames. Its only half eleven."

"Are you getting any work done?"

Arthur threw his pen down in disgust. "Why not."

Without a backward glance, the two men began to leave the warehouse.

* * *

Ariadne swallowed as she walked down the street towards the warehouse. Everyone, she felt, was looking at her. And looking at her critically. She smoothed the loose clothing of her top down, and tried to walk past, causing minimum amount of fuss.

She noticed people were looking at her. Feeling fearful, she began to hurry.

* * *

"I said water."

"You said, water, but look as though you need Scotch." Eames' tone was practical. He set the glass down in front of the Point Man, and looked at him. "What's going on?"

Arthur sighed. "Its Ariadne."

"Thought so."

"I think..." he swallowed and leaned back. "I think she has a problem with food." He toyed with his glass. 2I've found a few things out."

Eames looked at him. "Such as?"

"Well, she used to be overweight." Arthur felt himself flush as he said it - it felt invasive to be discussing the Architect in these terms. Eames frowned and took another sip.

"Is that a problem?"

"No. But she thinks its a problem. I -" Arthur swallowed. "I used extraction to try and find out what really happened. Turns out she was mocked for it in High School. She lost a lot of weight. But-"

"The memories remain. And you stirred them up."

"No, its more that she seems to think that she's not good enough for me, due to how she felt and looked then." Arthur slumped forward. "But its not true. I think she's -"

"You think she's lovely," Eames interrupted. "And you want to prove it to her."

"But if she won't eat-" Arthur felt his throat constrict - "then I'm not sure what I should do."

Eames fell silent.

"I let her into my thoughts. Showed her when I was a teenager my mother thought I was anorexic, how I needed to go to a clinic to be made to eat." He smiled, sadly. "But it didn't work. She thought I was mocking her, making her feel worse." He rubbed his forehead. "And last night-"

"What happened?"

"I asked her to come over, I cooked for her. She barely ate anything." He reached for his scotch glass. "And we argued. She told me I didn't understand how she felt."

"And then?" Eames asked, quietly.

"I persuaded her to go to bed." Arthur took another sip of scotch. "Did I manipulate her into it? I wanted her to feel loved, to feel desired. But- she left. She left in the morning, without even telling me."

Eames looked into his scotch glass. "Arthur-"

"What have I done?" Arthur looked up at him, his brow creasing. "I wanted her to feel better about herself, and I just seem to make things worse." He looked at the Forger. "What would you do?"

"Help her." Eames said softly. "Help her realise that these fears she has are not true. They're not real."

"No," Arthur whispered, tears forming in his eyes, "they are real. They're real because I disturbed her memories, and she's now dreaming. She's dreaming with projections of me, projections of me bullying her, making her feel badly about her weight. I started it, because I invaded her thoughts."

"So what are you going to do?"

Arthur swallowed. "I'm going to start having to be firm with her. Make her understand I do care, and that I want her to eat."

Eames nodded, his face concerned. "All right. But Arthur?"

"Yes?"

"Be careful. Please."

"Oh, I will be." Arthur looked determined, his face grim. "I'll make her eat. Trust me."

* * *

**All reviews appreciated, thank you!**


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer:** Inception does not belong to me. **

Arthur let himself into Ariadne's apartment, with the stealthy use of a credit card. He frowned slightly - he was spending too much time with Eames. Dropping his bag and coat in the hallway, he walked into the kitchen.

Carefully, he began to open the cupboards. He frowned. Nothing of substance, except salted crackers. And, he noted, popcorn. Low fat. He shut the cupboard door, and began to look through the refrigerator.

"Lots of salad," he mumbled. "And...salsa. Milk...some cheese..."

"Arthur?"

Shocked, he slammed the door, and turned round. Ariadne was standing, looking at him speechlessly. "What are you doing?"

"I was looking through your refrigerator," he said, bluntly, not even trying to hide or excuse his actions. "Very healthy. Nothing in it." He slammed the door shut. "Why did you leave me this morning?"

"I-"

"Asked you a question. Why did you leave me?" his voice was angry and hurt. "I turn over, and you're gone. Completely. Clothes, everything. Was it that bad?"

She shook her head. "No..."

"Then what was it?"

"Arthur, please stop pressuring me." She turned, and began to walk to the sink, reaching for a glance.

"I'm pressuring you?" he blinked and looked at her. "Ariadne, I just want you to be a little more honest with me. And considering you walked out on me this morning, I think I'm entitled to hear the truth!"

"The truth? All right. I had a dream."

Arthur nodded. "OK. And?"

"I dreamed we were in a restaurant, and you called me a porker. Happy now?!"

"Ari!" Arthur looked at her, shocked. "You know I would never say that! Its your projection of me that's saying that!"

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"Well, I-"

Scowling, he walked towards her, and pulled her close. Pressing his lips on hers, he silenced her.

"Would I do that, if I thought what you claimed?"

She shook her head, taken aback.

"But, Arthur-"

"You have a projection of me in your head, which is encouraging you to behave like this." With her fingers laced through his, he lead her into the lounge. Together, they settled down upon the couch, meeting each others' eyes.

"What's your projection of me like, Ariadne?"

She looked at him, and swallowed.

"He's...a bully. He's always telling me awful things about myself." She looked at him. "And I wish he'd-"

"Shut up?"

"Yes."

"OK."

A silence fell.

"Arthur, you're trying to do to me what your mother did to you-"

"I know." He nodded, tears in his eyes. "So what do you suggest?"

"I think-"

He pulled her close, his mind whirling. "It'll be ok," he whispered. "I promise."

As they pulled apart, she got up. "I need the bathroom."

"All right."

As she left, he watched her walk, her figure drowned in her baggy clothing. Leaning back against the seat, he blinked, an idea rapidly forming.

**All reviews appreciated, thank you! I like to know who is following this!**


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer:** Inception does not belong to me. **

Arthur turned over, and smiled. Ariadne was lying next to him, and he gently brushed and tickled her side.

"Arthur..." Ariadne murmured. "Don't."

"Don't, what?" he asked, perplexed.

"Don't tickle me, I'm sensitive."

He smirked. "I know. Come on..." reaching over, he began to move his hands down insistently, reaching her waist. As she tried to playfully bat his hands away, he continued to move down her torso.

"Ari," he breathed, softly. "Ari-"

Suddenly, he blinked in shock. Her body was shrinking before his eyes, getting thinner. He blinked, staring in horror. "Ari-"

"What Arthur?" she was smiling dreamily. "Isn't this what you want?"

She continued to lose flesh, shrinking down to the point of near emaciation. Horrified, Arthur looked at her. "Ariadne!"

Turning her head, she smiled at him. "But I'm thin now Arthur. Don't you like it?"

"NO!" His eyes were terrified. "Ari, come back, come-"

He sat up, thrashing, and kicked back the covers. The cool night air hit his exposed torso, soothing his hot skin. Sitting bolt upright, he swung his legs round, and began to get out of bed, heading for the kitchen. As he drew himself a glass of water, he found himself shaking.

The dream...it was too vivid. Too real. He bit his lip, wondering if it was a warning or a sign. He rubbed his face, and took a sip of water, shuddering as the icy liquid blazed a path to his stomach. He began to carry the glass carefully back into the bedroom.

As he sat back on the bed, he turned and looked at her, smiling. She was lying stretched out, heavily asleep. He reached over, gently flicking a lock of hair back from her face. He blinked, remembering how delicate she'd felt in his arms, how fragile. He turned and looked at the frumpy clothes she'd covered herself in, and frowned.

He laid down next to her, moving his arm to lie across her side. Sighing, he began to bury his face in her soft hair, inhaling her scent. Slowly, he began to fall asleep again.

* * *

"And that's what you saw?"

Arthur nodded, looking down into his cappuccino, which was lying untouched. Cobb had finished his own, pushing the cup aside. Reaching over, he looked into the younger man's eyes. "Arthur." his tone was gentle. "It was just a dream."

He shook his head. "This was different. It was so vivid. So visceral." He shuddered, remembering how Ariadne's

He shuddered, remembering how Ariadne's flesh had seemingly melted off her bones, leaving her fragile. "It was a warning. A warning of what could happen."

Cobb shook his head. "Arthur, please. Don't think like that."

"What else am I supposed to think?" Arthur snapped, glaring at the Extractor. "My girlfriend - I dreamed she was wasting away, and I'm not going to sit here and do nothing!"

"Arthur-" Cobb swallowed, realising his protestations where pointless. "What are you going to do?"

"Extraction."

"Arthur, you could damage her mind-"

"What like you damaged Mal's?" Arthur challenged. Cobb blinked, and a spasm of pain moved across his face. Arthur leaned back. "Dom, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Yes, you did," Cobb said, heavily. "Forget it." He began to get up. "If you want to do this, go ahead. But remember, the possiblities for damage are limitless."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "I'll bear that in mind."

Cobb nodded, pulling a five dollar bill out of his pocket and leaving it on the table. As he walked away, Arthur swallowed, feeling his determination had been confirmed.

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	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer:** Inception does not belong to me. **

"Thank you for this," Ariadne said, appreciatively. Arthur nodded. He'd persuaded her into coming home with him that evening, and insisted on cooking for her.

She'd barely eaten, preferring instead to shift the food around her plate. He'd swallowed back angry retorts, instead focusing on his own food. As they'd begun to leave the table, he'd stopped her from trying to clear it.

"No, please," he said, kindly. "You're my guest."

She looked at him. "I only want to help, Arthur-"

"But its fine," he insisted, trying to keep any irritation out of his voice. He looked at the nearly full plate, and shook his head. "Go and sit down."

As she wandered into the lounge, his eye went to the glass of water she'd drunk. After a few minutes, he heard a soft cry, and walking in, noticed she'd fallen asleep, her head gently lolling on her shoulder. Walking over to her, he put her in a comfortable position. Going over to the cupboard, he pulled out the PASIV, and began to open it.

* * *

Arthur swallowed as he began to blink. He was sitting in an armchair – an expensive, leather bound one. Opening his eyes fully, he began to stretch, and move himself up. As he began to walk, he realised that he was no longer in a suit, but in a simple pair of jeans and a soft, unstructured t-shirt. He extended his arms, suddenly relishing his freedom.

As he continued to walk, he realised that he was in the hallway of an apartment. Swallowing, he noticed that the décor was subtle and tasteful – not unlike the tones and colours that he favoured. He began to rub his eyes, which were feeling slightly sleep encrusted – and his hand froze in shock.

He was wearing glasses.

He blinked, stunned. Catching sight of himself in a mirror, he realised he looked younger, almost carefree. His face was no longer clean shaven, but coated with a light dusting of stubble.

He smiled at his appearance. Suddenly, he heard voices. Raised voices, coming from the kitchen.

"Stop talking to me!"

"I'm not going to leave you alone! Will you just eat it, and do as I say!"

"I -can't!"

"Oh, this is insane!" Arthur moved closer. He was beginning to recognise the voice, and a painful thudding erupted in his rib cage. "I said, EAT IT!"

Standing in the door way, the Point Man stood, horrified. Dressed in an expensive suit, he watched as himself grabbed the back of Ariadne's head, and began to push her face down towards the plate.

He blinked, as a slow, frightening realisation spread through him.

The plate was completely empty. As was the table. There was no sign of any food. He took a step back.

"You're pathetic," the projection of Arthur said, with an furious scowl that grotesquely twisted his features. "Won't even eat air."

"But you're the one-" she choked out. As she sat up, Arthur watched as the tears rolled down her cheeks. "I'm the one, what?" he snapped.

"But you're the one who thinks I'm too fat," she stuttered, her voice blurred with tears. "You're the one who told me I was too heavy!"

The projection shrugged. "Well, yes. That was after I lay there next to you, and couldn't feel you through the rolls of fat." She slumped at his words, the tears flowing freely.

"I really don't like lying next to a blob," the projection continued, his voice harsh. "Its really not attractive, Ariadne. Do you really think someone like me would want to put up with that?"

Furious, Arthur began to move forward. Until he realised that his route was blocked by a glass panel. He began to beat on it with his fists. "HEY!"

The projection had his hand on the back of her neck. "Do as I say!" it roared. Before it could slam her head on to the plate, Ariadne had managed to turn, pulling herself away from its fingers. Arthur, sickened, began to pound on the glass again.

As he turned, he noticed a hammer lying next to his foot. Picking it up, he swung it at the glass.

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	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer:** Inception does not belong to me. **

As he grabbed the hammer, Arthur blinked. The expression on his twin's face was ugly. It was a leer, full of possession. His eyes widened as he noticed the fingers reach out, and begin to tickle down Ariadne's neck, leaning closer. Whispering in her ear.

It was a show of intimacy. A show of intimacy that Arthur wanted - and envied. Furious, he slammed the hammer head against the glass.

It barely cracked.

Swallowing, he picked up the hammer, and began to hit the glass again. As slight dents and chips began to appear, he noticed that Ariadne, accompanied by the projection, was starting to get up, and beginning to walk away.

Desperate, Arthur began to hit at the glass more slowly, hoping to crack it.

* * *

"Come on," Arthur whispered to Ariadne. "Let's go."

Swallowing, she allowed herself to be walked out of the room. She began to turn her head, to catch a glance at the other Arthur. She felt a tug on her sleeve.

"Ignore him. Come on. Something I want to show you."

She went with him, noting how impeccably dressed he was, but also at how insistently he kept his hand around her waist, pulling her close. Eventually, they reached a door.

"Open it," Arthur whispered, pulling her close and nuzzling her neck, an affectionate gesture that made her feel cold inside. "Please, open it."

As she put her hand on the door, a wave of uneasiness began to roll over her. She turned and looked at the projection, who was smirking. "Arthur-"

"I said, OPEN IT!" He shouted, his voice echoing down the corridor. "Just OPEN IT!"

Her hand trembling, she began to twist the handle. With a delighted grin, he began to push her in.

* * *

Arthur rubbed his forehead in frustration. The cracks were appearing, but still the wall was nowhere near shattered. Picking the hammer up, he took another swing at the glass. And another.

The cracks began to widen.

Heartened, he slammed the hammer into it again. A shattering noise finally confirmed what he had hoped - that the wall had broken. Determined, he began to walk through the jagged remnants, careful not to catch his skin or clothes.

He looked down at himself. The t-shirt, he thought critically, was something he would never have chosen to wear. And the jeans...Arthur couldn't even remember the last time he had bought a pair of denims.

Shrugging, he began to walk.

* * *

"Go in," Arthur said, his voice soft. Ariadne stood in the doorway, hesitantly, then gave a little cry as the projection roughly pushed her in. Blinking, she gasped when she saw what was inside.

A table. A long table. Covered with a wide variety of food, food that she had often denied herself as an adult, or, she thought guiltily and with shame, over-indulged in as a teenager. Pastries, fries, rich, fatty dishes oozing calories...these were laid out in abundance.

"What do you think?" the projection asked, his voice soft, and seductive. "I think its time you stuffed your face, like the fat nothing you are. Come on!"

She felt him push her in the back, moving her closer to the food. Before she could protest, he'd pushed her down on one of the chairs.

"There you are," he said, softly. "Now, eat. Eat, eat, eat. You know its what I expect. And you know its what Arthur expects."

Before she could move, he'd shoved her face down, into the pastries.

**All readers and reviews appreciated, thank you! **


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer:** Inception does not belong to me. **

Ariadne choked. Choked as the soft, gelatinous cream began to fill her mouth, and nose. She struggled, and felt the hand of the projection on the back of her neck, holding her down.

"Can you breathe?" it asked, softly, bending over her, its mouth at her ear. "Can you breathe when your like this?"

Ariadne began to raise her arms, trying to dislodge herself. It responded by pushing her face down even further.

"Eat them," it said softly, beguilingly. "You know you want to."

Gently, it began to release the pressure on the back of her head. Almost sobbing, Ariadne let her head come back up.

"Now," the projection said, its tone still soft. Its hand extended, scooping up one of the pastries. Hesitantly, she opened her mouth, letting the projection begin to place it inside. The cream smeared upon her face, and the pastry crumbled slightly, falling back onto the plate and table.

"Good?" it asked, gently.

Ariadne nodded, the taste electrifying. She swallowed, licking it off her face. "Mmm."

"That's what I like," the projection commented, the tone almost kind. Reaching down again, it scooped up more pastries, holding them towards her mouth, encouraging her to lick it off her hand. "You need this. You deserve it. You're far too thin."

As Ariadne continued to eat, he began to press down her shoulders. "I can feel your bones," it whispered, gently stroking its hand up and down her back. "The ridges in your skin, the feel of your spine..." he leaned down, its breath tickling her ear, suggesting at her flesh. "Its worrying, Ariadne."

"I thought..." her voice faltered. "I thought you'd like it."

"Oh, I do." Its tone was reassuring. "But its still not enough. Too much flesh."

"I thought you said I was too thin..."

"No, you mis heard what I said. Too fat. All I can feel are lumps of flesh, solid, useless, ugly!"

"Please!" Ariadne felt herself choking slightly. "Please don't!"

"I'm only telling the truth...feeling this...and this...and this bulge here at your waist..." the projection's hands snaked over her body, invasive, penetrating.

"Stop it!" Ariadne began to push the chair back, dislodging the projection's hands. "I don't have to listen to this, I don't have to believe you!"

"So who are you going to believe? Him?" The projection snapped, scornfully. "Are you thinking clearly? He just wants to fatten you up, Ariadne!" She blinked, looking at the image in front of her - the spitting image of Arthur. "He just wants to make you fat, so he can humiliate you!" He shook his head. "Don't even think about listening to him!"

* * *

Arthur listened carefully, creeping down the corridor. He looked at his hand, realising that the hammer had slipped from his fingers. As he walked, he tried to listen, to hear any sound of Ariadne.

"Don't!" he heard her shout. "Please!"

Picking up his pace, he began to run.

* * *

"Don't what?" the projection asked, innocently. "Come on." Taking Ariadne's hand, he began to lead her away from the table, towards another door. Smiling, it pushed it open.

She blinked. Inside was a clean, modern bedroom - a double bed with a cream cover, light, sand coloured walls, and tasteful furnishings. The projection walked towards the bed, and began to sprawl upon it, smirking.

"Come on," it said, soothingly. "Come on." It held out a hand. "Isn't this what you want? Really want?"

She shook her head. "You're not him."

"I told you. I am." It sat up. "I'm what you think he thinks of you...your view of him, through your disorder. You're supposed to be smart, haven't you worked that out yet?"

"But you said..."

"Forget what you think I said. Come here." He pulled her close, and started to tug, insistently, at her shirt. "Come on. Show me. Show me your bones, show me what you're so proud of."

Hesitantly, she began to unbutton the shirt, and letting it slide off her shoulders. He pulled her down, kissing the hollows in her neck.

"Oh, that's beautiful," he said, admiringly. "The bone here-" he rang his fingers along it - "its perfect-"

She stiffened.

"If it weren't for all the fat under here!" he snarled, pushing her back. "You disgust me, you know that? You-"

Suddenly, the projection was grasped from the shoulders, and yanked backwards. Before it could move, Arthur had slammed it into the wall, caging it.

He glared into its face.

"You what?" he demanded.

**Please review - it is appreciated!** **Thank you for reading this fic!**


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer:** Inception does not belong to me. **

"Whoa!" The projection laughed as Arthur shoved it against the wall, glaring into its face. "Careful there!"

"Leave her alone!" Arthur spat. Inside, he wished he didn't sound so desperately trite. The projection raised an eyebrow, and put his arms up to push Arthur away. Arthur lashed out, aiming a punch. The projection dodged, causing the Point Man's fist to slam into the wall.

Furious, Arthur reached for him, but the projection had moved round, aiming a round house kick. Caught off guard, Arthur staggered, only to find his legs suddenly kicked out from under him. He collapsed on the floor, and quickly pushed himself up. The projection was moving back towards Ariadne, who was moving backwards, her face contorted with fear.

Furious, Arthur jumped on the projection's back, looking his arm around his neck. Choking slightly, the projection began to bang on Arthur's elbow, trying to dislodge it. Arthur grimaced, and merely pulled tighter and harder. The projection began to squirm, and tried to rip at his arm.

Arthur kept pulling, refusing to give in. Suddenly, he felt a sharp, painful pinch on his thigh, and gasping, started to release his grip. The projection took advantage, turning sharply to cause Arthur to hit the floor, hard. He shoved off his arm, getting up, and proceeding to deliver a kick to the abdomen. Arthur gasped, and bent over, clutching at himself.

The projection smirked, and got up, moving over to where Ariadne was standing, her face rigid. It leaned in, and began to stroke her face. "Come on." Before she could move, it began to wrestle her down, onto the bed, forcing her to lie flat. Smiling, it began to unbutton her shirt, making a soft, cooing noise as it did so.

Arthur began to sit upright, painfully aware of how his ears were ringing. He turned. The projection was virtually on top of Ariadne, leaning over, nearly pressing its face into her neck. "Oh, Ariadne," it whispered. "Oh..."

Ariadne murmured, trying to push up with her hands. It responded by grabbing her wrists, and pushing them down. "No," it said, almost soothingly. "Not now." It began to trace down her body. "Oh, look at all this...look at all this fat..."

"Please stop," Ariadne whispered. The projection smirked, cruelly.

"You really think he wants you? When he sees this?" It was tracing its hands over her body. As Arthur watched, he saw with horror that her ribs were becoming more prominent, and her stomach more sunken. He shivered, and shook his head. "He doesn't want you - not when you're like this. Its revolting, fat, flabby..."

Arthur turned, and noticed a bag. Picking it up, he moved over to the projection. It was now practically lying on top of her. Arthur flicked the bag open.

"I'm sure he grabs handfuls at night." The projection shook its head, as though sorrowfully. "He lies there, wishing he was with someone else, someone thinner, someone prettier, more attentive to his needs-"

Arthur sprung, shoving the bag over the projection's head, and beginning to pull it off Ariadne. The Architect began to sit up, her face drained of colour. Arthur looked at her.

"Ariadne! RUN!"

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	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer:** Inception does not belong to me. I know I haven't updated this one for a bit - thanks to Laura-xx for giving me a poke! ;)  
**

Arthur pulled down, and twisted. He could feel the projection squirming beneath him. He smiled, confident in his ability to keep it down, to keep it subdued. He felt it thrash and twist.

Suddenly, he felt a blow to his abdomen, and gasped. The projection had grabbed an object close to hand, and used it to attack him. Choking, Arthur began to crawl off the bed, gasping for breath. The projection was standing up, and was removing the linen bag.

Arthur looked at it, and felt a shudder of revulsion. The projection was him...but despite the expensive suit, and the carefully slicked back hair, he hoped he didn't have such a supercilious smirk on his face. The projection nodded.

"Arthur. Please." It smiled, a more friendly smile. "We do need to talk."

Arthur blinked. The bedroom suddenly seemed small, claustrophobic. He blinked, suddenly aware that he was dressed as the polar opposite of what the projection looked like. He began to walk forward. "Ariadne-"

The projection put up his hand. "You told her to run. She'll be safe. If you thought she wouldn't be, you wouldn't have told her to run."

Arthur shook his head. "Get out of my way."

Suddenly, he felt a blow direct to his face. He staggered back, and the projection walked forward again. There was a menacing aspect to its stance - a slow, careful strut that belied a complete confidence in its words and actions. "No," the projection said, confidently. "I won't. You need to listen to me, Arthur. Listen to me and lose your arrogance."

Arthur looked at him, stunned, as the projection moved and opened a door. He walked inside, and sat down at a table. Arthur sat in the seat opposite. "This feels like.." he spoke carefully, aware that this was Ariadne's dream - this feels like a police interview room."

"But that's what having this is like," the projection said, casually. "Being under constant surveillance."

Arthur leaned back. "If you say so."

"Listen, Arthur," the projection said, calmly, shaking its head. "Just cut your losses with her. Really. She's never going to be much of a girlfriend for you."

"Oh, really?" Arthur leaned forward, coolly arching an eyebrow. "Why?"

The projection looked at him. "Well, I could go on about the obvious physical flaws...too short, too fat..." it chuckled, a chuckle that turned to a choking grimace as Arthur leaned over, and pulled it up by its collar. "OK, let go!"

Arthur released his grip. The projection sank back down into its chair. It adjusted its collar, and looked at him. "Can we talk about this in a civilised fashion?"

Arthur glared. "Perhaps you would like to stop insulting her."

"Well, this is the difficult one. Because I am telling the truth...or the truth as she perceives it." The projection leaned forward. "Listen to me, Arthur. Being with her is going to cause you nothing but pain."

Arthur drew back, and looked at it. "I'll deal with it."

"How?" the projection asked. "Messing with her mind? Trying to incept her? Using dream extraction? Oh, no. You'll never solve it that way. Because this is buried inside so deep, that if you do extract, she'll eventually notice. She'll realise. And then she'll ever trust you again."

"Well, I'll have to take that chance," Arthur said, stolidly.

"Why?" the projection shook its head. "Leave her. Find someone else. Someone who isn't going to fret over every calorie, who isn't going to stink of vomit. Someone better."

"But what will happen to her?" Arthur looked at the projection. "Think about it."

"Well, she'll probably starve herself to death." The projection shrugged. "But if you don't have anything to do with her, you'll never need to know."

"I can't just abandon her."

"Very noble."

"Its not a question of being noble, its a question of helping someone who is in pain." Arthur glared at the projection. "Of wanting to actually help someone."

"Like I said, noble. But you have your team to think about...do you really want to become her full time nurse, her carer?" The projection raised its eyebrows. "Plus, you'll have to have all those tedious conversations with her...'no you're not fat', 'oh, I love you anyway...'" The projection chuckled. "You'll get bored very quickly."

"I love her."

"You must do. Or is this out of pity? The knight in shining armour rescuing the poor fat girl?" The projection stood up, and smiled. "Think about it."

"Its out of love."

"Then go and find her. She'll be so happy to see you."

"You're just leaving it?"

"Arthur." The projection looked at him. "When will you get it? I'm how Ariadne sees you. As this bully who is going to criticise her for her weight, and constantly hurt her over it." The projection was grinning, and Arthur wanted to kill it. "You have to change that perception. Good luck."

The projection turned, and opened another door. Stunned, Arthur tried to gather his thoughts, unsure of what he should do next.

**All reviews appreciated, thank you!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer**:** Inception does not belong to me.**

Arthur blinked, and looked round. Ariadne had disappeared, and so had the projection. Swallowing, he pushed his glasses up, beginning to feel a tremor of concern. This was Ariadne's dream - and it was darker than he'd thought possible.

He shuddered, then readjusted himself. He needed to find her, to help her. Turning, he caught a glimpse of his reflection. He couldn't help but think that this casual ensemble made him appear more youthful, and carefree.

Maybe that was the approach he had to take. Swallowing, he began to walk, and pushed open the door.

To his shock, he was standing in the warehouse. He looked round, and blinked. Cobb was mulling over a computer page, Eames tinkering with a file. Ariadne was nowhere to be seen.

Arthur took a step forward. Eames looked up. "Oh, Arthur." He raised an eyebrow. "Nice clothes. Not really you...or is that all that fits now?!"

Arthur frowned. "Meaning?"

"Oh, come on, do you think we haven't noticed how much Ariadne likes to feed you?" There was a mocking tone in Eames' voice. "She always offers to cook for you, and brings you brownies, and-"

Arthur blinked. These were projections of his team mates - Ariadne's projections. _This is what she thinks we say about her behind her back, _he suddenly realised, sweating slightly. He walked over to Eames.

"Now, come on, Eames, Arthur doesn't have to worry." Cobb looked up. "You're just jealous."

"Yep. Jealous that Arthur's dating someone who feeds him so she can get through a door."

Arthur looked astonished. That was not the sort of thing he had ever heard, or would ever expect Eames to say - in fact, the Forger had once commented he thought the Architect was too thin. "You should take care of her," he'd commented to the Point Man. "She looks...fragile."

Arthur swallowed. The dichotomy between what Eames thought, and the toxic words dripping out of the projection's mouth, were unsettling. He took a step forward. "There is nothing wrong with Ariadne, Eames."

"Really? I thought she was looking a bit...chunky."

Arthur bristled. "Oh, you do?"

"Yes. Still, maybe you just like something to grab onto?"

Arthur looked at him, furious at the projection's crudeness. "Eames."

"Its all right, Arthur, you need to tell her you like some flesh. I mean, two skeletons grinding away together- must be uncomfortable-"

Furious, Arthur raised his fist, punching the projection in the face. Stunned, it staggered backwards, tipping over a table in the process. "Shut up," he hissed, taking another swing. "Just-"

"Whoa, Arthur!" Cobb was on his feet, grabbing his arms. "Hey! Eames didn't mean anything by it-"

"Look," Eames spluttered, blood streaming from his nose, "if it really bothers you, go and talk to her!"

"Where is she?" Arthur demanded.

"Downstairs."

Arthur hurried, not caring about the projections spluttering behind him. He headed downstairs, and found Ariadne in the basement.

He blinked, slightly stunned. She was sitting in front of her drafting table, spooning ice cream into her mouth. He looked at her, his lips tightening. She was pale, and he could see that despite her baggy clothes, she was too thin.

"Ariadne?"

She blinked, and looked up, trying to hide the ice cream pot.

"Ari, you don't have to hide food from me, I-"

"But you think I'm fat," she muttered, clutching it. "I heard you, talking to the others."

Arthur shook his head. "Ariadne, this is not real. I promise you. They don't think like that!"

She looked at him, and swallowed.

"I don't believe you."

**Reviews are always welcome and appreciated, thank you!**


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer:** Inception does not belong to me.**

"Ari..." Arthur spoke hesitantly, gently. "Ari, please. you need to listen to me."

"Do I?" she asked, her tone defiant. Arthur swallowed - he was beginning to feel that traps were being laid for him, at any point he might come into contact with another projection. "Yes."

"Arthur, just leave me alone. I know you're not interested."

"Really?" he snapped. "Well, clearly, you don't know me at all."

"Well..."

He swallowed. This was her dream - he was merely letting her fill his mind with her subconscious. "I'll take you out."

"What?" she pulled a disgusted face. "You really want to be seen in public with me?"

"Yes, I actually do!" his temper was beginning to rise, and his patience beginning to lessen. "I want to take you out, for a meal! Now go home, and get changed!"

She looked at him, shocked. "Arthur..."

"What?" he snapped.

"You're- telling me, to do...?"

"Yes, I am!" Arthur's frustration was boiling over. "Look, go home, get changed. I'll meet you at 7pm."

"Where?"

"At your place."

"But-"

"Just...I'll see you there."

* * *

He bit his lip. As he'd walked through the warehouse, and gone outside, into the sunshine, he'd realised that this was a strange alternative world. One where he discovered that his flat, rather than decorated in art prints and carefully selected coffee table books, was filled with posters of bands and scruffy paperbacks, and to his chagrin, he also had no suits. After flicking through his clothes for the best part of half an hour, he eventually selected a pair of black jeans, and white shirt. He peered at himself, and decided to shave. He slicked his hair back, and nodded at himself. He was ready.

Leaving the apartment, he headed for Ariadne's.

As he approached her building, he grew apprehensive. He had no idea what to expect. She had been wearing baggy clothes in the dream, as though too embarrassed to reveal herself. He shook his head, wondering what she would wear now.

As he approached, he saw her, and began to smile. She was wearing jeans, and a tunic top. Her hair was shining in waves around her face.

"You look gorgeous," he said sincerely.

She clapped her hand over her mouth. "Arthur!"

"Oh, yeah..." he said, nervously, running his hand over his face. "Yes, um-"

She bit her lip. "its just you remind me of-"

He shook his head. "I'm not him." He looked at her. "I promise you, I'm not him. I'm not him."

She looked at him. "Prove it."

**All readers appreciated, and I'd love some reviews, thank you!**


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me.**

"Come on," Arthur said, encouragingly. He opened his hand, and hesitantly, she slipped her fingers into his. He wrapped his own around them, and gave a reassuring squeeze.

As they walked, she fell silent. He swallowed, trying not to let it bother him. The sidewalk was full of people - shoppers, dog walkers, strollers - and he concentrated on guiding her through the crowds, not trying to fall prey to the projections that were eyeing them.

Some, he noticed, almost distastefully.

He continued. As they walked round a corner, they arrived at a restaurant. As they entered, a polished looking maitre d' approached. "Sir?"

"Table for two," Arthur said, casually. He had noticed other diners turning to look at him. The maitre d' nodded, and they began to walk forward, towards a small table.

As they sat down, Arthur noticed that Ariadne was flushed. He reached over, and placed his hand on hers. "Its ok," he said, softly. "It is ok."

"Arthur," she whispered, "everyone's looking."

He turned, and frowned. Two or three couples were turning their heads, looking at them. He shook his head, and picked up a menu. "Ignore them."

"They're looking at me!"

He sighed, and looked. None of them were even gazing at the table. He shook his head. "Ariadne, please, believe me." He looked down at the menu. "OK, what shall we order?"

"Um, chicken. Salad."

He sighed, and closed the menu. "That's not substantial enough."

"Arthur."

"No, please, listen to me. Its not enough for you. You need to eat." He swallowed, and noticed that her face was flushing. He took a deep breath and continued, more gently: "How about a sauce on the chicken?"

She shook her head. "Um, no thanks."

"Why?"

"Because I don't have the metabolism of a hummingbird."

He gritted his teeth. "Ariadne, please. You're too thin."

"So? You trying to fatten me up?!"

"No!" He slumped back in his seat, slightly stung. "No, I'm not! But I do think you need to take better care of yourself than at present." He swallowed, and rubbed his face. "You need to-"

"Walk away from her."

He blinked, stunned. A woman - a very attractive woman - was standing in front of him. She leaned over, and gently tickled Arthur's ear with her lips. "Leave her. She's no use to you."

Arthur glared, and continued as though she had not spoken. "Ari, come on, you know I-"

He blinked again. A man was caressing Ariadne's back, and her eyes were closed. Arthur glared. "Hey, stop that!"

"Just telling her that she better not eat anything," the man whispered, lowering his face. "She's too heavy already."

Arthur glared. "Leave her alone."

"Then stop lying to her," the woman whispered. "Why don't you accept that she is a-"

Arthur got up, and walked over to Ariadne. Ignoring the projections, he pulled her towards him in a deep kiss. She looked at him, slightly stunned. He nodded.

"Now, will you please order something you like? Please?"

"Yes," she said, hesitantly. "I think I will."

**All reviews appreciated. Thank you!**


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer:** Inception does not belong to me.**

"OK," Arthur said, flicking through the menu again. "What will it be?"

"Tuna, please." She swallowed. "And can I have...the dauphinoise potatoes?"

"Yes, of course." He nodded, pleased that she seemed to be intent on eating something substantial. He gestured to the waiter, who wandered over.

"Could we..." Arthur began. A few moments later, the waiter was walking away, and he reached for Ariadne's hand, gently caressing it.

"See?" he said, smiling. "Not so bad."

She nodded. "No, it isn't."

A silence fell. Arthur lowered his eyes to the table, she reached for her water glass. As she took a sip, he tried to relax. Carefully, he picked up his own glass.

"Want some wine?" he asked, lightly.

Ariadne raised her eyebrows. "Trying to get me drunk?"

"No..." Arthur bit his lip, slightly embarrassed. He was not intending to get her drunk - but if it worked as a relaxant...He shook his head. They were in a dream. The impact of alcohol could be interesting. He gestured to the waiter.

"Sir?"

"A bottle of red wine, please." His mind was racing. Ordering wine could be the trigger to get her to relax - and then perhaps open up further about this. He smiled at the waiter, who nodded.

"French?"

"Please."

Ariadne watched as the waiter left. A silence fell, and neither seemed ready to speak. Finally, he did.

"This is pleasant."

"It is."

"I can't remember the last time I was out like this," he said, hoping the implied compliment would cause her to open up. "Being out, with a beautiful woman."

She was blushing. He smiled, and caressed her hand, gently. "I mean it."

"Well, I would never have got a date with someone like you," she said, shyly. He frowned slightly - this lack of self confidence was like a corrosive acid, eating away at even their most tender moments. He shook his head.

"Don't count on it," he said, firmly. "I was pretty gawky when I was younger." He swallowed. He could still see himself - pale, and sickeningly skinny. No wonder everyone had assumed he'd had an eating disorder.

He shook his head. Both he and Ariadne had faced nothing but condemnation when they were younger for how they'd looked. He took a sip of wine, reflecting. Even though he never gained weight, he was overly conscious of his body, and of what he put in it. And Ariadne...

A paralysing thought suddenly ripped through him. Were he and Ariadne any good for each other? Both shackled by their fears about their bodies, both constantly thinking that neither of them were good enough-

He sat up straight, the wine helping him reach clarity. That was the core issue. He still possessed a niggling doubt that he was attractive, despite his winning admiring glances on the street. He covered it with expensive suits. He was still acutely aware of his body, often checking that he was not looking too thin, or pale.

Because, he thought, wasn't that what he'd always been told - that he had to look strong, protective? And what about for her? What kind of cruel, subliminal messages had been picked up by the Architect over the last few years?

He blinked. Their food had arrived. She looked at it, hesitating, then picked up her fork. Arthur nodded, and reached for his own.

As she carefully cut into her meal, he tried hard not to watch. He noticed her put it in her mouth hesitantly, as though she was not really sure. But as she chewed and swallowed, he realised that she was starting to smile. He nodded, delighted.

"Good," he breathed. "Good."

**All reviews appreciated, thank you!**


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer:** Inception does not belong to me. **

"So...how was it?"

Ariadne nodded, placing her fork down on the table. "It was good." Her voice sounded almost surprised, and Arthur scooped up the last remnant of his main course, and placed it in his mouth.

"Good. I'm glad." He swallowed, realising suddenly how utterly banal he sounded. Like a father who'd expressed concern over his daughter's eating habits.

Or, worse, like his own mother.

Arthur blinked, shocked, as the restaurant surrounding began to morph. They were no longer sitting in slightly upscale restaurant, surrounded by young couples and attractive singles; they were sitting in Arthur's parents' lounge. He turned, shifting. He was still dressed as he had been in the restaurant, and Ariadne was sitting next to him. His mother was looking at him, frowning.

"Arthur, its been too long."

"No, actually, it hasn't." He rubbed his forehead, feeling his face redden. His mother was looking at him, and walked over. He felt Ariadne shift, and suddenly, his mother grabbed his wrist, pulling him to his feet.

"Let's have a look at you!"

"Mom!" Arthur felt himself flinch, remembering in time that this was a projection, not his mother. "Mom, please!"

Ignoring him, she yanked at his shirt, causing the material to rip and the buttons to fall onto the floor. "Look at this! Arthur, you're skin and bones! Don't you take care of yourself!"

"Stop!" his voice cut through, but the projection refused to listen, beginning to pull him to the table. "You need to eat!"

"Mom!" Arthur blinked, noticing that the table was perfectly set, and also covered with food. "Mom,, please, you don't need to do this!"

"But you're so thin!" His mother insisted. "Arthur, you need to-"

"Mom-"

Before he could protest further, he found himself being shoved down into a chair. Swallowing, he felt his mother grip his face, forcing his mouth open. He nearly choked. Suddenly, he felt a hand grip his wrist.

"Arthur! Arthur, come on, please!" His mother's face was a mask of concern. "Come on, you need to eat, get some meat back on those bones!"

He began to push away, furious that the dream had twisted into this. "No, look, I can't-"

Ariadne was literally pulling him out of the chair. As he got up, he saw that the room was morphing, hazing, back into the familiar confines of his apartment. Stunned, he went to a chair, collapsing into it. She bit her lip, then, to his surprise and delight, sat down next to him.

"Arthur, are you-"

"Yes," he said, breathing shakily. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry."

"What for?"

"That was - that was not my mother. And I " he paused, blinking back tears. "And I've been so consumed with demanding I help you, I forgot that I- there are things I-"

His face quivered. Laying his head against her shoulder, he closed his eyes, tears beginning to run down his face. "The fact I-"

Suddenly, the ground began to shake. Blinking, he opened his eyes, finding Ariadne staring at him, open mouthed.

**All reviews appreciated, thank you!**


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer:** Inception does not belong to me. Apologies for shortness, this is really to move the story along. **

"Arthur?"

He blinked, raising his head. He could feel Ariadne's fingers on the back of his neck, gently stroking the nape. He sighed- it was a relaxing feeling, one he had not had for a long time. He swallowed, letting his head continue to rest on her thighs. He shuddered slightly, the tears finally drying.

Ariadne stroked the back of his neck. "Its all right," she whispered, soothingly. "Its all right."

After a short while, he began to sit up, and faced her. "Thank you," he whispered, leaning over and kissing her gently, on the lips. As she did not pull away, he cupped her face in his hand, pulled her close, and kissed her more thoroughly.

She began to twine her arms around his torso. As he pulled her closer, she felt his warmth, and nestled into it. His lips began to move down her neck, reaching her collarbone. As he left a kiss, he felt her sigh, and cuddle closer. He smiled.

"Thank you."

"Arthur-" she paused, trying to find the words. "What we saw in that dream-"

"I was trying to help you," he said, quietly, running his hand down her back, "but all it did was show me I should help myself." He swallowed, and leaned back in the seat.

"Help yourself from-"

He stretched, and sighed. He turned his head, and looked at her. "Come on."

Taking his hand, they walked together into the bedroom. He went into the bathroom, and she undressed. Biting her lip, she stripped to her underwear, then climbed into the bed. Pulling the covers over herself, she waited.

* * *

Arthur rubbed his face, and looked at himself in the mirror. It was him, he decided - but why had his appearance altered so drastically in the dream? He shook his head, puzzled, and slightly scared. It was as though in trying to help Ariadne, his subconscious had turned on him, melding and melting realities, both past and present. He ran his hands down his face, then over his body. Closing his eyes, he tried to banish the dark, swirling thoughts that were threatening to consume him.

He swallowed, and wiped his face. Squaring his shoulders, he walked into the bedroom. Ariadne was under the covers, and smiled at him. He lifted up the duvet, and climbed in next to her.

She read the cue, and began to cuddle against his chest. He pulled her close, And stroked her back.

"Arthur?"

"Yes?"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He swallowed. As she pulled closer, he realised he had to stop lying.

"Yes."

**Please review - it is appreciated!** **Thank you for reading this fic!**


	33. Chapter 33

Disclaimer:** Inception does not belong to me. **

Arthur shifted, and wrapped his arms around her. She swallowed, and waited.

"My-" he paused; she could tell he was struggling to find the words. "My family and I did not get on due to this."

She nodded. "How?"

"Well-" he paused. "There was one evening - I was about sixteen. I was at home, it was dinner time." His voice was flat, oddly calm. "I sat down, and my father commented on how he hoped I would eat something."

Ariadne sucked in her breath. His hands were tickling her back.

"I said I would eat, as I was hungry. But it just made me - anxious." Ariadne could hear the tension in his voice. "When Mom brought the food out, with my sister, I realised that I couldn't eat it. An expectation had been placed, and it-"

"Killed your appetite?"

"Yes." He looked at her. "Eating under surveillance." He sighed, and rubbed his forehead. "I guess that's what the dream symbolised. The idea of being watched, being scrutinised."

"But what happened?" She was reluctant to press Arthur about it, but she felt she needed to know.

"Well, I spooned some onto my plate, and then realised - I just couldn't. My stomach had twisted." His voice was faltering. "But Dad - he was looking at me so intensely, and I put some on my fork."

"And then?"

"I put it in my mouth." His voice was faltering, choking. "And then I realised - I couldn't chew it and swallow. It made me feel so ill."

"So?"

"So, I spat it into the napkin. It was a piece of meat." Arthur blinked, and she could hear his voice thicken with emotion. "Mom was concerned - but Dad - dad got really angry."

"But, then-"

"He got up," Arthur said, his voice toneless. "Walked over to me. The next thing I knew, he was pushing my face in my plate. Pushing it down. I heard Mom scream at him to let me go - his hand was on the back of my head."

She was shocked. Listening, she stayed silent.

"He let me go, but I was gasping, choking. Then I turned to look at him, and his face was shocked." Arthur was speaking more calmly. "It was as though he could not believe what he had done."

"But..." she tried to find her voice again. "But why?"

"He didn't know how to deal with it. Deal with what I was going through." Arthur's voice began to break. "The truth is, my family thought I would not eat, thought I was trying to avoid food, and it ended up with me becoming obsessed by it."

"So you-" the thought that was pulsing in Ariadne's mind was too shocking even to contemplate. "So you-"

"I couldn't eat." His voice faded again, suffusing with emotion. "Mom was worried, Dad got angry, but eating became harder and harder." His voice shuddered. "I suppose I did develop an eating disorder. But I was thin, just never could gain weight!"

Ariadne turned her head, and looked at him. His eyes were glistening with tears. "Arthur..." she swallowed. "Arthur, it will be all right."

He began to push back the covers, and started to get up. "I'm not sure." His voice was breaking, and to her shock he dissolved into tears. "I'm really not too sure."

**All readers and reviews appreciated, thank you! **


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me.**

"Arthur!" Shocked, Ariadne put her arm his shoulders. He was sobbing; his cool composure had completely cracked. Drawing him close, he began to nestle down, swallowing, and gasping.

She laid there, her arms round him, not moving. He swallowed, and eventually, his sobs began to dissipate. She stroked his neck.

"Thank you," he whispered, burrowing into her neck.

"Listen," she said, softly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Well..." he gently rolled off her, and lay on his back. She began to move towards him, letting him encircle her with his arms. "Its really about me and Dad."

"What's he like?"

"A former athlete. Football player in college." Arthur sighed. "I think he always thought that I was too timid, too much of a weakling." He looked at her. "I never liked football, or soccer. I preferred athletics."

"But, he thought-"

"I was weak. And because I was thin, it made it worse." He sighed and closed his eyes. "And it was not my mother who at first thought I was anorexic."

"It was your Dad?" she whispered.

Arthur nodded. "Yes." He stretched out. "I remember one evening - I was about sixteen. Going downstairs. I heard them arguing. I heard him shout 'what's wrong with that boy?!"

Ariadne swallowed. "And what did your mother say?"

"She told him she cooked, she fed me properly, she had no idea. He started shouting back that it wasn't natural for me to be like that - all the men in his side were properly built - real men!"

She shivered. "So what happened?"

"Mom got upset." He blinked. "She was determined to help me bulk up - but it just made me sick. Too much protein, too much fat - you name it, she served it. My sister complained that she gained weight too easily, how come I was so thin?" He shook his head. "It messed things up between us all."

"But it was just your body," Ariadne whispered.

"I know. But couple that with the fact that I was serious and socially awkward...well, Dad and I didn't seem to see eye to eye." He shuddered.

"Do you have any other bad memories?"

He licked his bottom lip. "I do. There is one phrase in the English language I hate more than anything else."

She was puzzled, but tried not to let it show.

"Meat on your bones." She looked at him, and he smiled, wryly. "I just hate it. It was said to me more times when I was teenager than anything else. Made me feel like a battery chicken." He swallowed. "Dad used to shout it at me, and mostly at mealtimes."

She swallowed. "I promise never to say that."

"And vice versa." She cuddled closer to him again. "I don't know. I keep telling myself I'm all right, that I can handle this. But then in that dream..."

"So what do you think you should do?"

He blinked. "See the family. Who I haven't seen for about five years."

"Five years?!"

"Its hard when you're extracting," he said, mildly. "But I-"

"Arthur. You want to help me, and I'll help you. If you think seeing your family will help, I'll go with you."

He leaned over, and kissed her. "Thank you."

**All reviews appreciated, thank you! I like to know who is following this!**


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me.**

Ariadne turned over. Arthur was fast asleep, his lashes casting shadows on his cheeks. Swallowing, she got up, and began to pad through to the kitchen.

As she filled the kettle with water, she realised her mind was churning. She wanted to help him - she was insecure about her appearance, the result of years of bullying about her weight - but Arthur, she recognised, had the potential to implode completely.

She began to make coffee, suddenly settling on an idea. She peeked into the bedroom - Arthur was still fast asleep. She hurried back into the lounge, and grabbed her cellphone. Back in the kitchen, she took a deep breath, and began to dial.

After a few seconds, a voice came through. "H'lo?"

"Eames?" She spoke, carefully. "I need you help."

* * *

Eames sat on the balcony of his small, cluttered apartment, drinking tea. He had always preferred it to coffee - a sign, he believed, of his defiant Britishness.

His conversation with Ariadne had disturbed him. Forge himself as Arthur's father. To try and help the younger man with an issue he was wrestling with - he shook his head, and took a swallow of tea. He didn't know if he could. Especially with what Ariadne had told him.

"An eating disorder?" He'd spluttered. "Arthur?!"

"Well, not really. He has a problem with food." She bit her lip, feeling like a grade A hypocrite. "He, um, finds it hard to eat n public."

"And you're telling me he has daddy issues? Ariadne, you only have to look at how he dresses to work that one out."

She shook her head. "Eames. Please."

"Oh, all right. As you asked nicely." He yawned. "Now, can I go back to sleep, please?"

"What time is it?"

"Its just after five."

"Oh," she said, embarrassed.

"Go back to bed."

She put thee phone down, and then walked back to the bedroom. Arthur was stirring, murmuring. She crawled back between the sheets, and lay down next to him. Reaching out, she spread her arm over his chest, and he reached up, grabbing her hand.

"Hey," she said, softly. He squeezed her hand, then let it drop. She blinked, turning over. As she closed her eyes again, he suddenly spoke.

"Who were you talking to?"

Ariadne's eyes flew open. He had taken her by surprise, and she turned over again. "Um, Arthur, I-"

"Who was it?"

She swallowed. She realised she had no choice but to tell him the truth. He was leaning on his elbow, looking directly into her eyes. She took a deep breath. "Eames."

"Eames?" Arthur's eyebrows drew together in a puzzled frown. "Why were you calling Eames?"

"I thought he could-"

"Yes?" Arthur's eyes were dark and challenging. "What?"

"I thought he could forge for you. Be your father."

Arthur fell back on his back, speechless.

**All reviews appreciated, thank you! I like to know who is following this!**


	36. Chapter 36

**Disclaimer**:** Inception does not belong to me.**

Ariadne bit her lip. She hadn't meant for it to slip out. Arthur's eyes narrowed in anger, and embarrassment. He began to push back the covers, and started to get out.

"Arthur, I-"

"What?" he snapped, harshly.

"Arthur I'm only trying to help." Her voice sounded feeble. "I really want you to -"

He sat back down, and lowered his head into his hands. "I know you do," he said, his voice muffled. "Its just the idea of Eames forging my father-"

She looked at his face. A smile was playing round the corner of his lips. "Well, um-"

"I can't think of anyone more unlike my Dad." Arthur fell back down onto the bed. "Really." He stretched out, and sighed. "Dad is so - conservative, so set in his ways. Eames is, well, Eames."

Ariadne had to smile. "I didn't think-"

"No, you thought." He reached over, and took her hand. "You thought enough to want to help me, and I am grateful to you, trust me."

She wound her fingers into his, and they lay together for a while, not speaking. She felt the warmth of his skin. He turned to her.

"Ari..."

She blinked. His voice was slightly thick, with longing. She began to pull his arm towards her. Silently, he began to carefully entwine himself with her, taking care not to grab or bruise her. She felt his legs wrap around her thighs, and leaning forward, kissed his neck. He responded by pushing his hands into her hair, dragging his fingers down.

"Thank you," he whispered. He leaned in further, feeling her buck slightly beneath him. She gained in confidence, and kissed him on the mouth.

For that moment, they were the only two people in the world.

* * *

An hour later, they were in bed, side by side. Ariadne's face and skin were flushed, and Arthur, she noted with satisfaction, hd a contented look. She impulsively reached over, kissing him again.

His eyes flicked open. "That's not fair!"

She giggled. "What isn't?"

"Taking advantage." He raised his eyebrows. "I'm lying here, helpless-"

Ariadne burst out laughing. The last words she would ever apply to the Point Man were helpless. Yet, he looked oddly vulnerable, his eyes shining. She swallowed back her laughter.

"No, I mean, we're helpless when we're naked."

The simplicity of the sentence felt like a slap. She swallowed, suddenly realising what he meant. She leant back down.

"I did have other girlfriends, once."

She blinked. She wasn't sure she liked where this conversation was heading. Stung by the subtle feeling of jealousy, she turned over.

"But I didn't like them looking at me."

Her jaw dropped. "Arthur-"

"I didn't want them thinking I was...disappointing." His voice had lulled. "That underneath the clothes, they'd see this scrawny little body." He blinked.

She reached out, and began to trace her fingers down his stomach. "I always worried that they'd look at me and think I was a blob."

He raised an eyebrow. "And did you think that of me? That I would?"

She looked at him. "Yes," she confessed.

He blinked, and a look of shock settled on his face. "Ari...I would never..." he shook his head.

"Its just..." she swallowed, speaking more rapidly. "I saw you, and thought he would never-"

He shook his head. "I saw a hint of that in the dream."

She nodded. "Thought you did."

"But, I need to help myself, and then I'll feel I can-" his voice slowed, and he nodded. "So, we're not going to ask Eames to forge."

"You-"

He looked at her. "I'm going to visit my parents. Without any preparation."

**Reviews are always welcome and appreciated, thank you!**


	37. Chapter 37

Disclaimer:** Inception does not belong to me. Apologies for long time in updating - I'm currently in the process of moving house and getting ready to go on Holiday. Thank you for your patience. :)**

Arthur started folding up shirts, and loaded them into the suitcase. He sighed, and stood up. Ariadne looked at him.

"What is it?"

"Nothing." He began to zip up the bag, and she suddenly spoke. "Wait! Your razor!"

"Oh, thank you!" He smiled as she handed it to him. "You know my apartment pretty well." He carefully stowed it into his bag.

She looked at him. "You know the inside of my head pretty well, too."

He blushed slightly. "Perhaps." He looked at her, directly. "But I don't think I know my parents." He bit his lip.

Ariadne fell silent. Two days previously, she had sat, watching, as Arthur had punched numbers into his cell phone. He'd held it to his ear, gingerly, as though it might explode at any moment.

The pause that filled the room was palpable. Eventually, he spoke. "Mom? Arthur."

"I know its been a long time...Mom, I'm sorry, but the way things were...that's not an excuse, but you're well? Dad's well?"

His face relaxed, and a slight smile touched the corners of his mouth. "That's good to know. He's ok?"

Ariadne held her breath. After a few seconds, he spoke again. "No, I'm good...I was wondering, if I could come and see you? You want me to?"

She bit her lip.

"OK, on Thursday would be great. Is it ok if I bring someone with me? Yes, my girlfriend."

She raised her eyebrows.

"Thanks, Mom. See you and Dad soon."

He clicked off, and sighed. She walked over, and looped an arm around him. He nuzzled his face into her arm. "Thank you," he muttered, huskily. He took her hand. "Thank you for doing this."

She swallowed. "Arthur, if it helps you-"

"I hope it will."

* * *

"You're going to visit your parents?"

"Yes."

"Arthur...its been so long..."

"I know." Arthur looked at Cobb. "But, I have to see them."

"At least they're both still alive." Cobb spoke carefully, not wanting to upset the younger man. Arthur nodded, and collapsed, wearily, into a seat. "They are, but Dad..."

"What about him?"

"He's not well." Arthur rubbed his face. "He's had to have heart bypass surgery."

"Oh, Arthur-"

"No, he'll be ok, but I guess it means treading carefully." He sighed. "And here I was, thinking we could have a straightforward man to man conversation."

Cobb looked at him. "You still can, Arthur. You're taking Ariadne. Let him see what you've achieved, what you are."

"As long as he doesn't still think of me as his pitiful weakling of a son, who was too skinny to achieve anything, and nearly got it beaten out of him once." Arthur blinked, and Cobb could have sworn he saw tears in the other man's eyes. "But-"

"Good luck," Cobb said, carefully. Arthur nodded.

* * *

"It will be allright," Ariadne said, a touch impatiently. She and Arthur were in a cab, heading towards his parents' house. He looked at her. "It will be." On a sudden impulse, he leaned over, and kissed her.

As they arrived, and got out, she noticed the front door opening. An attractive older woman was stepping outside - dark haired, she had large expressive eyes, like her son's. Ariadne walked forward, Arthur wrapping an arm around her waist.

As they approached, his mother swooped down, hugging him. Arthur didn't try to resist. Wrapping his arms round her, he let her shoulder muffle the sounds of his tears.

**Thank you for reading, please review!**


	38. Chapter 38

**Disclaimer**:** Inception does not belong to me. **

Arthur let his mother rub his back, soothingly. He choked, the tears still coming. Ariadne felt like an intruder, and tactfully kept herself to one side.

"Arthur, Arthur...its all right," his mother soothed. "Come on, your father will want to see you."

The Point Man straightened up, and his mother took his hand. Ariadne bit her lip - his face was slightly blotchy, and tear streaked. He mother pulled him into another embrace.

"Mom," Arthur swallowed. "I need you to meet Ariadne-"

His mother looked at him, then turned to her. Before Ariadne could move, she had pulled her into a tight embrace, that filled the younger woman with a sense of calm. Arthur's mother, she realised, was desperate for her husband and son to make amends. She pulled back, and smiled.

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs Ogilvie," she said, politely. His mother smiled.

"Gwen. Please. Its Gwen."

Nodding, Ariadne watched as she turned back to Arthur. Before either of them could say anything else, they were being ushered indoors.

* * *

As they entered the house, Ariadne noticed that it was clean, and modern, decorated in light pastel colours. As they walked into the lounge, a man was getting up. He had the same dark eyes as his son, and a worried, slightly pained expression. As he came forward, the Architect noticed he was leaning on a stick.

"Well..."

A silence fell. Arthur looked at his father, but his face did not betray a flicker of emotion. The older man reached out, a hand. Hesitantly, Arthur clasped it, and they shook, albeit uneasily.

Ariadne bit her lip. It was as though she were watching a tableaux between father and son. Finally, the silence was broken.

Arthur spoke. "How are you Dad?"

The older man looked at him, and nodded. "Been better. At least I can walk now."

Arthur didn't flinch. "Your surgery? You-"

"Well, I'm still here." His father had clearly meant it as a light hearted quip, but it fell heavily. Ariadne coughed, politely. Arthur's father turned to her.

"Well, Arthur! Who is this?" He walked over, and extended a hand. "You're-"

"I'm Ariadne." She blushed slightly. "Arthur's-"

"Girlfriend?" He looked at her, hopefully. "Well, Arthur. Glad to see you've got good taste, son."

Arthur flushed slightly. "Dad. Ariadne is- she and I met through work. She's brilliant at what she does."

It was Ariadne's turn to blush scarlet. "Arthur-"

"Well, if you've met someone, at least she'll get you to take care of yourself." Ariadne watched Arthur flinched, and bit her lip. "You need to, son, you're as thin as a straw!"

"Its the way I'm built," Arthur said, hoarsely. "Dad, please-"

"Let me show you to your room," his mother interrupted. "Ariadne?"

Duitfully, Ariadne followed Gwen Ogilvie, fighting a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

**All reviews appreciated, thank you!**


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